


Sword Art Divergence: Alternate Aincrad Arc

by HelixDraxzonyx



Series: Sword Art Divergence: Alternate Aincrad Arc [1]
Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 116,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23992678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HelixDraxzonyx/pseuds/HelixDraxzonyx
Summary: When a prospective Sword Art Online player gives their copy of the game to nine year old Sora Seiun, they set in motion a chain of events that will change Sora's life forever. Trapped inside the game with his sister and their friends, they must rally together and find the strength to survive in a game that will kill them in real life if they die in the game.
Series: Sword Art Divergence: Alternate Aincrad Arc [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1730107
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. The First Domino Falls

**Author's Note:**

> This is an alternate universe fanfiction, in which Sora (the main hero from Sword Art Online: Destiny's Calling Arc) is able to enter the world of Sword Art Online instead of being left outside of it. The story will explore the differences that can be made just from having him inside SAO. This is the first of 8 (currently) planned arcs for Sword Art Divergence.
> 
> As this is an alternate universe story, there are naturally some changes. As such, canon events and locations should not be expected. Canon events that do occur are naturally going to be changed due to the presence of non-canon characters. Some canon locations have been changed as well. Sunshine Forest has been moved to Floor 21. Floor 20 is now a desolate landscape with a predominently canine-based monster population (large wolves and dogs, Gnolls, things like these). Floor 18 is a similarly bleak environment with a heavily Arachnid influence. There are also towns and inns that have been added, but these are less important.
> 
> While Sword Art Online: Destiny's Calling Arc made references to the 16-hit version of Starburst Stream as it was in the novel, Sword Art Divergence features the 21-hit version as seen in the anime (though the anime, strangely, claims that it's a 50-hit combo).
> 
> Another change I've made is to the construction and operation of the NerveGear and the way in which it kills. There seems to be very little clear, verifiable information on how the NerveGear originally operated. What little was mentioned seemed quite vague. The revised version that I detail in Chapter One is based upon research that I personally have done into a number of subjects, all of which are also mentioned within Chapter One. I'm not going to say that the revised design is better. My only intention was to make it easier for people to understand how it would work and how it was capable of killing, in a more precise way that could be verified. It may transpire that the design I've provided requires rectifications. If so, I'll make those rectifications, but at present the design seems viable. Then again, I'm not a Neuroscientist so my understanding is liable to be lacking.
> 
> I believe that's all I wanted to notify readers of. If anything else relevant and important should surface I will add them here.

**November 5th 2022 – 1500 JST**

A boy of around ten years of age sits on the floor in a quiet corner of a video game store. He has short, light brown hair with a faint waviness to it. His eyes are rather unusual: his left eye is chestnut brown, while his right eye is a vivid shade of emerald green. Beneath his right eye is a small, dark birthmark that looks similar to a mole. He reads through a series of handwritten notes in a slightly dog-eared Oxford blue notebook, focusing on one note in particular, which he reads aloud to himself.

“In life, even the smallest of events can have the biggest of impacts. The flap of a butterfly's wing in China could very well change the weather in Seattle. In RPGs, this is no different. A tiny change can alter the tides of war. People who would have died will live instead. Companionships that should have formed will be prevented. The direction of the course of history can be entirely rewritten through any seemingly insignificant action. Never underestimate how useful a small decision can become.” An intrigued voice responds to this.

“Wow! That's a very wise thing for someone as young as you to be saying.” The boy looks up to see a man in his early twenties, who looks at the boy with keen interest. The boy gives a small nod.

“It's something my guild leader taught me about. Keita can be pretty smart, sometimes, but his decisions aren't always the best. It's true though. Just the other day I used Mage Hand to throw a small rock at a Minotaur that was attacking my sister. It charged at me, slipped on the rock and dazed itself. My sister and two others took advantage of its prone state to kill it. Keita reckons that I can do more with small actions though, maybe even change the way a war plays out.” The man nods in agreement.

“You sure know your stuff. Are you here for Sword Art Online as well then?” The boy looks a little distant.

“Yeah. The whole guild is planning on playing it but... it doesn't look like I'll be able to join them. One game per household, at least until more copies are released. I already have a NerveGear, so my sister's trying to get her rig and the game as well, it just doesn't look like she can get a copy for me too.” The man holds out a small case with a wink. The boy sees the game title printed on it: Sword Art Online.

“If anyone asks, you didn't get this from me.” The boy looks at the man in disbelief.

“Seriously? Are you alright with that?” The man nods.

“Yeah, I think so. I know how everyone's raving about this game but... well, if my girlfriend finds out, she'll beat the crap out of me. She's often complaining about me playing games, maybe I should start listening to her. I'm not all that good at RPGs anyway. I'd feel better knowing that someone like you is playing it, someone who wants to play it and knows what they're doing. I know there's an age rating on it but that'll just be our little secret.” The boy accepts the game with wide eyes.

“Thank you so much, mister!” The man chuckles softly.

“Don't mention it, kiddo. Have fun.” He walks away, leaving the boy staring at the game in awe. After a few minutes, he hears soft footsteps approaching.

“Sorry, Sora. I tried to find a way to get a copy for you too, but it's no good. They wouldn't bend on the 'one copy per household' rule no matter what I tried.” The boy looks up again, this time seeing a girl with indigo colour hair and vibrant azure eyes. Beneath her right eye is a birthmark identical to the boy's. She looks at him sadly for a moment, then spots the game in his hands with shock.

“B-But... that's SAO! Sora... h-how did you get that?” Sora smiles at the girl.

“This guy gave it to me. Said his girlfriend would beat him up if she found out he'd bought the game. He said he'd feel better knowing the game was in the hands of someone good at RPGs.” The girl shakes her head in disbelief.

“Talk about lucky, and very generous too. I guess now that means we can both play. I just got my rig too, so we're all set for tomorrow, then.” Sora nods enthusiastically.

“That's right! And no matter what we come up against, I'll protect you like always, Sachi onē-chan.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**November 6th 2022 – 09:14 JST**

Sora sits on the edge of a hospital bed in a private room, swinging his legs energetically while bobbing his head about. A doctor is in the room with him; a man in his late twenties whose shortish chocolate hair sits in tight coils. The man has warm green eyes, a youthful face and calming smile that seem to offset his strong muscular build. The doctor looks over some paperwork before turning to Sora cheerfully.

“Alright, we're looking good. Blood test came back all clear, blood pressure is a-okay, nutrient levels are good too. Your neurotransmitters are all good as well, meaning your nerves are working just fine, at the moment. No signs of progression just yet. You're all clear for today then, just don't overdo it. You're young, so you're still getting to grips with actual reality. If you spend too long in Virtual Reality, that could cause problems for you. You could end up having trouble telling the difference between what's real and what isn't. I know you're excited, but don't get carried away. Everything in moderation. I know that sounds boring, but you'll thank me for it later on.” Sora nods.

“I know. Even so, I can't help but be excited. I mean, Onē-chan and I have been playing RPGs with the others for two years now. We've been dreaming about something like this ever since then: the chance to actually _be_ in a fantasy world. With all the hype from the beta testers and the reviews and everything else, it's really hard _not_ to get excited.” The doctor rubs his chin.

“Well, when you put it like that, it's understandable. It's called Sword Art Online, isn't it? Fighting against monsters and things, are you going to be alright with that?” Sora's confidence is palpable.

“Of course! As long as Sachi onē-chan is by my side, I can handle anything! Together we're invincible! I know there's no magic or bows or anything, so I can't support her like I normally do, but I'll still find a way. I'll find a way to make it work, a way to protect and support her just as I always do.” The doctor raises an eyebrow.

“So you're always a Supporter to your sister? You never take on a different role? How come?” Sora sits still as his expression becomes sombre.

“Well... I guess it's because... it's the only way. I can only help and support her in the games. In the real world, I can't really do that. I'm small for my age, and weak. With this condition as well... there's just not much I can do for her. Sachi's been supporting me for more than two years now, keeping me going, focusing more on me than on herself. I know that, but there's nothing I can do for her here. Not really. Not in any way that makes a difference. When she found out about my condition... she was devastated. I've never seen her so upset before. That was the only time. The only time in this world that I could help her. I was able to make her smile again, but I know she's still upset. I know she still needs me, needs my support, but I can't do that in this world. In three years I won't even... but in games it's different. In games, I can do things. I'm strong there. I can do anything I want. I can protect her, and support her. I can be the brother she needs me to be, but only in games. I _have_ to be a Supporter, to repay her for always supporting me. She supports me in the real world, and I support her in the game world. That's the way it is, the way it needs to be.” The doctor looks impressed with Sora's argument, and moved by it.

“Well, when you put it like that, I can't argue with you. I don't think anyone can. You know, Akatsuki's lucky to have a little brother like you.” Sora tilts his head to one side.

“Onē-chan said the same thing. I plan on proving her right, every minute of every hour of every day. For as long as I live.” The doctor stands straight.

“Well, I think we're all wrapped up here then. Best not to keep your sister waiting, or she'll start worrying about you, even more than she normally does, I mean. Remind her that I said she needs to stop worrying so much. It'll make her old before her time if she's constantly fretting.” Sora jumps from the bed, landing lightly.

“I will. Thank you for everything, Dr Samson.” Sora bounces out of the room, leaving Dr Samson lost in thought. _That's one Hell of a kid. Sora's not even ten years old, yet there are times when he has more maturity than most adults, even the elderly ones. It's not hard to see why though. Sora's been through more than just about any kid his age. Orphaned by age seven, and lost his twin brother just a few days after losing his father. Akatsuki is the only family he has left, and the reverse is true for her. That's why it hit her so hard when she found out Sora had ALS. Three years, give or take, and then Akatsuki will be the only one left. I can't begin to imagine what she must be going through, but worrying about the future will only make the inevitable even more unbearable. She needs to enjoy Sora's limited time, instead of fearing his end. Sora's doing the best he can to ensure that. He's doing everything he can to cheer her up and distract her from the future, while supporting her how and where he can. I admire his courage and his strength, but I can't help but worry about him myself, just as Akatsuki does. Sora's focusing all of his energy on supporting Akatsuki, to the point where I'm not entirely sure that he's processed the reality of his situation. He's focused entirely on her, sparing not even a second of thought for himself. His selflessness could end up coming back to bite him, but I hope it doesn't. I hope Akatsuki is watching him closely enough to avoid that. Those two need each other, more than ever. I know that, and I know that they'll need even more help as well. That's why I made the decision to apply to become Sora's personal full-time physician, and today my application was approved. I'll help them both, as much as I can, and take some of their burden away from them. They need to lighten the loads on their shoulders, and as a doctor, it's my duty and my responsibility to be the one to reduce that burden. I just hope it'll be enough._

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**November 6th 2022 – 13:07 JST**  
**Aincrad, Floor One, The Town of Beginnings**

Sachi stands before a market stall, looking at the weapons being sold there with an expression of hesitation and uncertainty. _I'm not sure what I want to go for. I've used swords in RPGs before, but they're pretty short range. In table tops I'm okay with that, knowing that Sora is backing me up with Supporting spells, but SAO doesn't have magic. He can't support me here like that. Then... maybe_ I _should try supporting_ him _instead, with a spear. I'm usually a lancer anyway, so I know that role very well. I can also apply what I've learned in Naginatajutsu here as well, in theory. The question is, what spear do I buy?_ A young man with short dark hair appears at Sachi's left side, looking at the weapons curiously.

“Having trouble deciding what to buy?” Sachi nods.

“Hey, Keita. Yeah, I guess I'm having a little trouble. I just decided that I'll be a lancer, since Sora can't support us with magic or archery in this game. Trouble is, I can't decide which spear to buy.” A boy tugs at Sachi's right sleeve, and she looks down at him. His long hair is the same colour as Sachi's, and partially obscures his eyes, the left eye being chestnut brown and the right being emerald green. The boy wears a forest green tunic, with a very basic chest plate for armour. Everywhere around them are people with very similar outfits, the only real differences being the colours of the tunics.

“You shouldn't use my real name in-game, Onē-chan. It goes against VRMMO etiquette.” Sachi raises an eyebrow at Sora.

“I'm surprised you even know that term.” Sora doesn't look up from the stall.

“Ducker taught me about it, after I called him by name. It's alright to use my name in private though. Etiquette is a weird thing. If you want a spear, then you should get that one at the back. It kind of looks like your Dragon's Toothpick from the Canyon of Fire campaign. I don't think we'll be able to get a better one for a while, until we get further into the game.” Sachi examines the spear that Sora indicated with an intrigued expression. The spear appears finely crafted, with an almost ornate looking shaft and a moderately fearsome barbed spearhead. 

“Hey, that's not bad. You've got a good eye. I didn't even notice it until you pointed it out.” Sachi purchases the spear and equips it, giving the weapon a few experimental twirls and thrusts.

“This'll work nicely, but it'll take some getting used to actually using it. This _is_ my first dive after all.” Sora folds his arms.

“In that case, we should head out into the nearby fields and fight some mobs. We'll all need to get the hang of the combat mechanics before we can start exploring dungeons.” Sachi nods, and for the first time she notices the sword and shield that Sora has equipped.

“So you're going with a sword and shield combination? I kind of figured you would, but are you going to be okay with that? It'll mean you'll be on the frontlines, and some bosses will still knock you about despite your shield.” Sora seems unconcerned by this.

“I know, but my choices are quite limited really. I don't think I'll do well with a two-handed sword. I _could_ go with a spear, but I think I'd best leave _that_ to someone who knows the role better. A one-handed sword is basically my only option then, or else a dagger, but that's _too_ short range for my liking. Later on I might go with something like a Rapier, once I get the hang of the game, but for now this will work. I'll hold the monsters back, you lance the ones that slip past me. We'll support each other. We all will.” Sachi smiles faintly.

“Alright then. I can see you've made your mind up, I just wanted to make sure you thought this through.” Sora nods, but is distracted from answering by a guy running past, with long black hair and black eyes.

“Huh. Someone's in a hurry. Guys like that tend to die fast. Isn't that right, Ducker?” The blond male who had just joined the trio sighs in exasperation.

“You're never going to let that go are you, Nebula?” Sora shakes his head.

“I got shot in the arse while resurrecting you. Of course I'm not letting that go!” Keita and Sachi both laugh at this, as do two other males who join the group, one of whom has spiky purplish hair, and the other has wavy brown hair. Keita looks about the group with a smile.

“I'm really glad we could all make it in here together. I was a little worried when I heard that the game would only be available enough for one copy per household, but a stroke of luck and act of generosity means that we're all here. We've been a strong team in RPGs for over a year now. Sword Art Online is different to those games, but we have the knowledge to get us through regardless of that. Moonlit Black Cats: forward unto glory!” An awkward silence falls over the group, only to be broken by Sora, who looks at Keita sardonically.

“Dude, we're just going into the fields around town. Let's wait until we can survive dungeons before we start chasing glory.” Sachi giggles at this, while Keita sags, the wind taken from his sails.

“I was just trying to get us psyched up is all.” Sora pats Keita on the shoulder.

“We're inside the most highly anticipated game of all time, you dummy. If we get any more psyched up we'll have a heart attack. Now let's go fight some monsters.” Keita sighs, before falling into step with the guild, letting Sora and Sachi lead the way out of town. The young man with purple hair voices his curiosity.

“So what do you reckon we'll see outside of town? Probably something like Slimes, right?” Keita shakes his head.

“Not likely, Tetsuo. It'll be something as common and as weak as them, but Slimes are cave-dwellers. It'll most likely be an animal of some kind. Boars, or maybe wolves. I don't think we'll find anything like Goblins or Kobolds _this_ close to the Town of Beginnings. Further away from town we will though.” Sachi shudders.

“Slimes... gross. Dealing with them in tabletops is one thing, but I hope never to see one here.” Ducker raises an eyebrow.

“Why? Worried about being caught up in some kind of hentai-type situation?” Sora glances at Sachi.

“What's hentai?” Ducker answers before Sachi can.

“You'll find out when you get older.” Sachi responds hotly.

“Over my dead body! I don't want my little bro being tainted by that crap!” Sora furrows his brow, looking confused.

“I think it's best if I take back the question. Might be safer if I don't know. Back to the monsters, I think Keita's right, but I don't know about boars or wolves. Seems too early for those. Wild dogs maybe. Or maybe I'm wrong.” The wavy-haired male addresses Sora curiously.

“What makes you think it's too early for wolves and boars?” Sora glances back at him.

“It's not like I'm saying we won't encounter them on this Floor, Sasamaru. It's just that, in our tabletop sessions, wolves and boars are usually Level 3 or 4 at the very least, except in cases where they have young, which will be Level 1 or 2. This close to the Town of Beginnings, I wouldn't expect to see anything higher than Level 2. Wild dogs almost always start out at Level 1, and get progressively stronger later on. Same with rats, but those are normally found in caves, crypts and sewers. Of course, there's always the chance that the boars in this game start at Level 1. I'm just saying that there's no guarantee it'll be boars or wolves. I don't fancy fighting wolves just yet. They have a habit of being tough opponents for beginners.” Sachi smiles at Sora's reasoning.

“You make a good point. I'm glad to see that you've been paying attention to the discussions in our sessions. More so that you've memorised it. You could be right, or you could be wrong. We'll see soon enough. In any case though, we'll be perfectly fine as long as we stick together and work as a team.” Sora nods, then comes to a halt as he realises that the group has left the Town of Beginnings. In the nearby fields, a number of boars spawn in, and wander about aimlessly. Sora looks at the boars with mild disappointment.

“So it _is_ boars then. That's a little boring.” Sachi snorts at this. Sora looks at her in bewilderment for a moment, before realising what he said. Ducker pats him on the shoulder.

“I think you'd better leave the puns to me, kiddo.” Sora looks at Ducker quizzically.

“I would do, if you were good at making them.” Sachi has to fight to stifle her laughter at this point, while Ducker looks mildly impressed.

“Whew. You're getting pretty sharp these days, Nebula. Keep it up and you might be worthy of becoming my apprentice.” Sachi grabs Sora protectively, glaring darkly at Ducker.

“Uh-uh! I refuse! I'm not going to let you corrupt my little brother. Sorry, but you'll have to find someone _else_ to be your protégée.” Ducker looks confused, surprised and offended in equal measure.

“What makes you think I'd corrupt him?” Sachi's eyes narrow.

“I've seen the contents of your hard drive. The memory of what I saw in there still haunts and disturbs me. I'm not going to let you expose my precious brother to that evil.” Ducker sighs in resignation, prompting a laugh from Tetsuo.

“Well, I guess now I don't have to ask how Sachi chose her name for this world. Sor-... I mean, Nebula was the one who came up with it in the first place, after all.” Ducker nods.

“What else would she go by? Look at the way she's hugging him. Anyone would think she has a Brother Complex.” As Ducker laughs at his own statement, Sachi whacks the top of his head with the shaft of her spear, emptying a fair chunk of his health bar. While Ducker massages his injury, Sora observes the damage dealt.

“Hm? That was quite a lot of damage for such a small attack. I think you found his weak spot, Onē-chan.” Sachi examines Ducker curiously.

“I think you might be right about that. I'm surprised.” Sora looks up at Sachi.

“Why? Isn't the head usually a weak spot for Humans?” Sachi nods.

“Well, normally yes, but Ducker's head is empty, so that shouldn't be his weak spot.” Sora and Sasamaru laugh at this, while Tetsuo notices that Keita is focused on the boars.

“Something wrong, boss?” Keita seems uncertain.

“Just trying to figure out the deal with these boars. They're all labelled as Frenzied Boars, but I can't see anything frenzied about them at all. They're completely passive.” Sachi looks down at Sora, whom she still holds onto.

“Can you remember what a passive mob is, little bro?” Sora takes a moment to think before answering.

“Passive mobs are creatures, not necessarily monsters, that behave in a peaceful manner, grazing and wandering, things like that. It is only when they encounter a hostile mob, or get attacked by a player, that they react. They will either flee, or fight back, depending upon the specifics of their nature.” Sachi smiles warmly.

“A perfect answer. Given that these are boars, I think it's most likely that they'll fight back if we attack them. The question is whether or not we can get close to them without provoking them. The answer is dependent upon whether or not they have a Reactive, Defensive or Territorial nature. Mobs with these natures will usually aggro against a player that gets too close, though in the case of the Defensive nature, only a clear threat will be targetted upon close approach. A seemingly passive player would be ignored by a mob with a Defensive nature.” Sora looks intrigued.

“Is that so? That's pretty interesting. So, are we going to fight against these Frenzied Boars or not? Do we want to look for a different type of mob to fight against?” Keita turns back to the group.

“I think these will be fine for us to practice against. Most of them are Level 1, same as us. There's a few Level 2s dotted around, further out, but I don't think we'll need to worry about those even if we fight solo. Just don't get too cocky. 90% of newbies get killed at the beginning of a game by underestimating low-level monsters. As RPG veterans we should all be wiser than that. The first person to die and re-spawn has to buy a round of drinks for everyone else.” Only Ducker seems put out by this.

“Crap.” Sora glances sidelong at Ducker.

“Oh right, you chose to fight with a Dagger. You're screwed, then.” While Sachi stifles another laugh, Ducker stares at Sora disapprovingly.

“Alright hotshot, why don't you show us how it's done?” Sora nods, rising to Ducker's challenge.

“Okay, I will.” Sachi releases Sora with clear reluctance, and the boy moves to the front of the group, selecting a Boar at random to fight against. He notices a somewhat arrow-shaped stone by his foot and picks it up. As he draws his arm back and aims his throw, he notices that the stone glows blue. _What the heck?_ Sora throws the stone, noticing a blue trail left in its wake. The stone strikes the Boar's left eye, precisely where Sora had been aiming, releasing a small burst of blue light upon impact. Sachi looks impressed with the throw.

“Nice shot! How did you do that?” Sora shakes his head.

“I don't know. It felt like something was guiding me though.” Keita hums with interest.

“So _that's_ it, is it? I'd heard a rumour about something called System Assist in this game. I'm not sure how it's activated, but it supposedly helps your attacks and skills land as you intend. The idea being that even someone without training in swordsmanship would still be able to perform the same feats, due to System Assist.” Sora has no chance to respond to this as the Boar rushes at him, aiming to gouge his left hip. Sora raises his shield as he sidesteps, preparing to slam the Boar with it. The shield glows silver for just a moment, before Sora makes his move, smashing the Boar in the side of the head. A powerful silver blast flips the Boar onto its back and dazes it momentarily, allowing Sora the chance to thrust his sword into the Boar's belly. Its health bar drops into the red, but the Boar stays alive. It thrashes wildly as it tries to right itself, causing Sora to step back, becoming more cautious. The Boar turns bright red as it roars angrily, and charges straight at Sora with surprising speed. Sora freezes, raising his shield to defend himself rather than try to evade. The Boar stampedes straight through, sending Sora flying as though the shield hadn't even been there. Sora hits the ground roughly, losing half his health. He tries to stand up, but has been severely dazed by the attack. Fear grips him as he sees the Boar already rushing towards him again. _Am I really about to be killed by a Level 1 monster? I got too cocky._ A shadow falls over the Boar, and a spear punches through the Boar's head and pierces into the ground. The Boar's health bar empties, and the Boar explodes into fragments of light. Sachi abandons her spear as she rushes to Sora's side, fussing over him.

“Sora! Are you alright? Are you hurt? Can you stand?” Sora allows Sachi to fuss over him as he tries to collect himself.

“I think I'll be okay, in a moment or two. Just a little shaken up. I'm sorry for worrying you, Onē-chan. I underestimated that Boar. I didn't think a Level 1 enemy would have any special skills. That stampede attack seems to negate blocks. I'll have to remember to dodge or parry it in future.” As the rest of a Moonlit Black Cats come over, a male voice speaks up.

“That's pretty sharp, for a beginner. Your skills weren't as bad as I'm used to seeing either. You're right, you can't shield against a Frenzied Boar's Stampede attack, but you _can_ parry it, if you know how. Given that you've already figured out how to use Sword Skills, that should be pretty easy for you.” Sora turns to face the speaker, recognising a male with long black hair. The male is accompanied by an older male with similarly long red hair, wearing a red and gold bandanna. 

“Sword Skills?” The black-haired male does a double take.

“Wait... you _don't_ know what they are? You just got lucky with them?” Sora nods.

“That's right. Never heard of Sword Skills until you came along. Keita there was saying something about System Assist though, are they similar?” The male nods.

“Essentially, yes. The System Assist helps to ensure the successful execution of Skills and attacks, allowing even a novice swordsman to fight like a veteran. Sword Skills are special skills that are learned as players level up and raise their stats. New players all start with some skills, which vary depending upon what weapons you choose to fight with. Use your right hand to open your menu, then select your Character Menu, and from there you can find your skills under the menu of the same name. That'll tell you what skills you have, with a small amount of 'flavour text' describing the skills.” Sora does as the male instructs, and brings up a short list of skills.

“Oh, I see now. 'Single Shot' is what allowed me to throw that stone accurately. 'Shield Flip' is how I knocked the Boar onto its back. I also have 'Vorpal Strike', which sounds cool but doesn't look so great, and... 'Sharp Nail'? A three-hit slashing combo that can be used in the air. Might be handy then. I think I see how to use these skills though. There's something called an Initial Motion. If I perform that, the skill will be executed accordingly once I release the motion.” The black-haired male looks impressed.

“You catch on pretty fast, that's good to know. As long as you continue to learn this quickly, you won't encounter many problems until much later in the game. Just don't forget about this incident with the Boar, and what you learned from it. Just because a monster is low level, doesn't mean it won't turn around and surprise you. Oh, I haven't introduced myself. My name's Kirito, and this guy here is Klein.” Klein inclines his head.

“Hi there. So, you're all friends, huh? You seem like you all know each other quite well.” Sora nods.

“We've been playing tabletop RPGs together for about two years now, so we're all close friends. My name's Nebula, and this is Sachi. The dagger-wielding blond is Ducker, and our other lancer is Sasamaru. The one with the mace is Tetsuo, leaving just Keita: our leader. You're a beta tester, aren't you, Kirito?” Kirito flinches.

“Nothing gets past you. I'll have to be careful around you then, or you may end up being serious competition. That's right, I'm a beta tester. I know this world like the back of my hand, or some of it anyway. Couldn't get any further than Floor 8 though. This time around, I'm looking to blast past that in under a month. You guys need any pointers?” Keita shakes his head.

“Thanks for the offer, but I think we'll be alright from now on. You've taught us a lot already, and we don't want to monopolise your time. You're out here to train with Klein, right? It wouldn't be fair of us to keep you from that. Besides, like Sora said: We've been playing RPGs together for years. We should be able to handle things on our own, now that we know what we're doing.” Kirito nods.

“Fair enough, but if you ever need any help or advice, just look me up.” Keita leads the Black Cats away. Klein watches the group departing with a sad expression, and sighs.

“Aw man, I should have added that cutie to my Friend List.” A rock smacks Klein right between the eyes, followed closely by Sora's voice.

“I heard that!” Kirito laughs at this, and turns to Klein, who rubs his forehead.

“So, shall we get started?”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**November 6th 2022 – 1538 JST**

Dr Samson swipes a card over a panel beside the door of apartment number twenty-seven, hearing the door unlock. He rushes inside, through the entryway and into the apartment proper. He looks about frantically before opening a door into a bedroom, where a small boy lay on the bed, wearing a NerveGear. The case for Sword Art Online sits open on the bedside table, next to a few figurines of fantasy heroes and Dragons.

“Sora!” Dr Samson can see that the NerveGear is switched on, and connected to the game. He raises his cellphone, which had been clenched tightly in his right hand, the knuckles of which are pure white.

“It's too late, he's already in the game. I'll have to pull him out.” As Dr Samson reaches for the power cable, a voice shouts across the line, audible even though Dr Samson has taken the phone away from his ear.

“DON'T!” Dr Samson hesitates, before raising the phone.

“He's in there! He's in Sword Art Online! I can't leave him there!” The voice responds sternly.

“If you unplug the NerveGear, you won't save him. You'll kill him! Akihiko Kayaba already anticipated that. I've been hearing reports of players dying after getting unplugged. The NerveGear has some kind of defence against this. I don't have the full details yet, but some aspect of the NerveGear's design is capable of killing no matter what anyone tries to do to avoid that. I know you want to help him, but that's not the way.” Dr Samson clenches his left fist.

“So what the Hell do I do? He needs me! Both he and Akatsuki need my help!” The voice speaks as calmly and clearly as possible.

“Calm down, Vic. Getting worked up isn't going to do you any favours. For the sake of those two, you _have_ to control your emotions. Unfortunately, there isn't anything we can do on the outside. Akihiko Kayaba must have been planning this for years. It's foolproof. He's got all kinds of countermeasures in place. If we interfere, the players die. Seems like the only way to get out is to beat the game. You'll have to trust in those two, that they'll make it out alive.” Dr Samson punches the wall.

“You're telling me that there's nothing I can do? You're telling me that I have to stand by and watch over them, waiting to see if they wake up or if they die? Is there really nothing I can do?” The voice responds sympathetically.

“I'm sorry.” Dr Samson hangs up the phone, and it drops from his limp figures, moments before he falls to his knees. A single tear breaks free as he fights against his emotions. _There's nothing I can do. I applied to be Sora's personal physician specifically so that I could support him, and Akatsuki too. I wanted to help them, to reduce the burden placed upon them. What was the point? They're trapped inside of Sword Art Online now, and there's no way for me to pull them out. If I do, they die. Everything I've done up until now for those two has been meaningless, because of that psycho._

“Damn it!”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**November 6th 2022 – 1703 Aincrad Standard Time  
In the fields around The Town of Beginnings**

A Frenzied Boar charges at Sora, only to be flipped over by his Shield Flip skill. With three vicious vertical slashes, Sora kills the Boar. He looks about himself, seeing no more Boars anywhere, though his friends are close by, most seeming exhausted. Only Sachi remains standing, though even she breathes a little heavily. She looks at Sora somewhat incredulously.

“Don't tell me you're still eager to fight? You've been going at it for nearly four hours straight! How are you not tired yet?” Sora seems confused by the question.

“Tired? Why should I be tired? My body's in the real world. All I'm doing here is moving a virtual body, made up of ones and zeros. There's nothing tiring about that at all.” Keita looks both confused and intrigued.

“Huh, I never thought about it like that before. Then again, you're the only one of us who has ever done a Full Dive before. You're used to this, we're not. You should take it easy though. I get that you can kill these Boars really easily now, but you should think about the durability of your sword. If you break it out in the field, especially in the middle of a battle, you'll be in serious trouble.” Sora seems conflicted by this. He examines his sword closely, then sheaths it with a resigned sigh. Sachi looks at Sora with concern.

“So? How bad is the durability?” Sora sits down heavily.

“Down to about a quarter. If I were to grind Boars only, then I'd break it within the hour. Anything stronger than them, and it'll just break faster. I'll have to see if I can find a new sword soon then, or a Blacksmith to repair this one. Both might have to wait until the next settlement though. I didn't see any particularly good swords around when buying this one, and the mobs aren't dropping anything except money, and very occasionally items. We'll need a quest then, I guess.” Sachi nods.

“So in the meantime, focus on defending, and letting us finish the job. You're already a Level 5. Don't power too far ahead of us. I know you're determined to get stronger so that you can protect us all, but you need to pace yourself better. It's not healthy to push yourself so hard. For either of us. You know I can't help worrying about you when you get carried away like that.” Sora averts his eyes as he feels a surge of guilt.

“I'm sorry, Onē-sama. I never intended to make you worry about me.” Sora's head snaps up as he realises something odd.

“Wait a minute-” Arms wrap around him as he is hugged from behind.

“Ninja hug!” Sora squirms, feeling a little embarrassed by the embrace.

“Geez, knock it off, Onē-chan.” Sachi maintains her grip.

“Ehehe, I got you and I'm not letting go. This is your penalty for making me worry about you.” Sora tries to struggle for a little longer, before realising the futility of it and surrendering. The others laugh at Sora's predicament. Keita looks up at the sky in wonder.

“It's still hard to believe isn't it? We're inside of a game, right now. Actually _inside_ of it. A fantasy RPG. How long have we dreamed about this? To actually set foot in a magical world full of Dragons and monsters, dungeons and heroes? We're among the ten thousand luckiest people on the planet right now.” Sora tries to turn to Sachi, but she won't let him. Instead she rests her head on his shoulder, allowing him to speak then.

“Do you think we'll find your Mystic Valley here, Onē-chan?” Sachi raises her head sharply.

“If we do, I'll be suing for copyright infringement. I don't mind them using my art as long as they ask me and credit me, but to do it without my permission would seriously piss me off! I worked so hard on that drawing!” The group laughs again, before lapsing into silence. With a little difficulty, Sora opens his menu and takes a look around, before noticing something missing.

“Wait... what? Where's the Logout option?” Sachi looks at Sora's menu, and notices a blank space where the Logout option should be. She opens her own menu, and notices a lack of Logout option as well.

“He's right, it's not there. That's weird.” The others open their menus, all making the same discovery. Keita voices a theory, though there is an edge of concern to his words.

“Maybe it can't be used when we're out in the field. Maybe it'll become available again once we're in town.” Sora shakes his head.

“That doesn't sound right. Even in games where that's a mechanic, you can still _see_ the Logout option, it's just greyed out. Our menus don't have a Logout option _at all_ , greyed out or otherwise. That's weird. Could it be some kind of bug? But surely if it were, the admins would have found it and alerted us by now. They could log us out of the server themselves while they fix the bug, but they haven't. There hasn't even been a notification of any bugs.” Sachi clings onto Sora more tightly as the group looks to one another fearfully. The chiming of a bell rends the silence, and each are blinded by a bright light momentarily. When the light fades, Sora and the others find themselves standing within the central plaza of the Town of Beginnings, with other players teleporting in.

“A forced teleport?” Confusion is rife amongst the growing crowd, though some players seem to believe that this is some kind of event, or launching ceremony. Sora looks up into the sky, and sees a red notification reading 'System Error.'

“Up there!” All of the players look to the sky, as it becomes filled with red notifications. Something like blood seems to pour from these notifications, pooling in the air to form a giant robe worn by an invisible body. The robe speaks in a booming voice.

“Greetings players. I am Akihiko Kayaba, and I welcome you to Sword Art Online. As some of you may have noticed, there is an item missing from your menus: The Logout button. This is not an error. I repeat: This is not an error. This is how Sword Art Online was meant to be. It is not possible for you to log out of this game. Furthermore, if your HP should drop to zero, a transmitter in the NerveGear rig will generate a powerful electromagnetic pulse that will destroy your brain, and end your life.” A ripple of fear spreads throughout the gathered crowd at this announcement. Sachi holds Sora's left hand tightly. _If I die in the game, I'll die in real life? So if Sachi hadn't protected me from that Boar, I'd already be dead?_ Sora clenches his right fist as Akihiko Kayaba continues speaking.

“As of this moment, worldwide media is reporting on this incident. Despite my warnings, several friends and family members of trapped players have attempted to remove the NerveGears or interrupt the power supplies. As such, 213 players have had their avatars deleted from the game. Permanently.” A wave of gasps fills the air, along with muttering. Keita is amongst them.

“Is that even possible?” Sora nods.

“It is. I don't fully understand all of the technical aspects of the NerveGear, but there are components which possess the ability to cause fatal damage if they're used for that end. Everything he said is possible.” Akihiko Kayaba resumes his announcement.

“There _is_ a way for players to exit the game. Defeat the bosses that guard the entries to each Floor. Clear all 100 Floors of Aincrad and defeat the final boss, and you will clear the game. Clear the game, and every player will be logged out automatically. One more thing: a gift has been left in each of your inventories. You may find it quite interesting.” All of the players begin accessing their inventories, where Sora notices an item listed as Hand Mirror. He takes it out and looks at it, noticing nothing out of the ordinary, but soon everyone around him is engulfed by light once more. When the light fades, Sora has noticed that many players look different. Sachi's hair has become shorter, but otherwise there is no difference to her appearance. The same can be said of the rest of the Black Cats, save for Sora. His hair has not only become significantly shorter, with a slight waviness to it, but has also turned light brown. On top of that, his height has decreased by ten centimetres. In all other aspects; he looks no different to before. Sora frowns at this.

“What the heck was the point in that? Why change our avatars to how we really look?” Keita looks confused as well.

“I don't know. I don't even know how it knows our dimensions.” Sora is able to answer this one.

“The NerveGear performs a detailed scan to analyse our faces, and when we calibrate the rig, we have to pat various parts of our body, which gives the rig our height and body type. Even so, it's pointless. There's just no sense in doing this.” Akihiko Kayaba continues speaking.

“You may be wondering 'Why? Why would Akihiko Kayaba do this?' For some time now, I have dreamed of building a world of my own design and controlling it as I see fit. Now I have achieved my desires. You are all guests in my world, the world of Aincrad. This concludes the tutorial, and the official launch of Sword Art Online. Good luck, players.” Akihiko Kayaba's avatar vanishes, as does the myriad of notifications in the sky, leaving everyone in a stunned silence. Sora's heart hammers in his chest. _We're trapped here. We're trapped in Aincrad, in Sword Art Online. If we die in the game, we will die in real life. Onē-sama... Have we not suffered enough? Have we not lost enough people in our lives? Now we're faced with the possibility of losing more. I can't allow that! I have to protect her. I have to protect all of them! I must!_ As fear amongst the gathered players reaches breaking point and pandemonium ensues, Sora grabs his sister, and the rest of his guild, and pulls them away.

“This way! Hurry!” Sora's voice is able to cut through their shock enough to get them to comply, though they are still stunned and gripped by fear. It is only when they leave town that Keita is able to find his voice at last.

“W-Wait... Sora? Where are we going? What are you doing?” Sora opens his menu and displays a map of the region.

“We need to get away from this town, as quickly as possible. There are ten thousand players here. The fields around town can't sustain that many players. Not efficiently at least. If we're going to level up and get better gear, we're going to need to push on. We need to get to Horunka Village, and we need to do it now. Every second we delay puts us in danger.” Sasamaru tries to speak calmly.

“You think he was telling the truth? Kayaba? That if we die here, we die in the real world?” Sora nods.

“I do. I did a lot of research on the NerveGears. I don't understand all of it, but I understand enough. Everything Kayaba said is possible. The NerveGears _can_ kill us, and it sounds like they already have. 213 people have already died. The only way for us to get out of here is to clear the game.” Keita looks defeated.

“But that's impossible! Even that beta tester only made it to Floor 8-” Sora cuts him off sharply.

“So you're just going to give up? You're just going to roll over and accept defeat? You're our leader, Keita! You're supposed to be the strongest one here! You're supposed to keep us going when the rest of us are ready to surrender. You're wrong. It's _not_ impossible to beat the game. There's no such thing as an impossible game. Sure, this game might be dangerous, but that doesn't mean anything unless you let it. You said it yourself, Keita. We have two years of RPG experience. We know what we're doing. We can apply the knowledge and strategies we've built up over the years to get stronger, much stronger, and fast. We'll need to get stronger, myself more than anyone else. I need to protect all of you. Every single one of you, not just Sachi. She and I have lost too much already. You all know that. Sachi and I can't afford to lose anyone else. Are you going to get in the way of that? Are you going to force your friends to suffer more losses? If not, then dig deep, find your balls, and help me. I need your help, Keita. I need all of your help. I can't do this by myself, but with all of you by my side, I can. _We_ can. Together, we'll beat this game. I promise you that.” Sora's words, and the strength within, burns through the fear of his friends. They rally themselves, pulling themselves together and burying their fears and anxieties as deeply as possibly. As the Moonlit Black Cats follow Sora at a brisk jog, Sachi can't help but be awed by her little brother. _He's so strong. When did he become this strong, this brave? What is the source of it? I can't help but be proud of him for giving us courage like that. Only nine years old, yet he behaves like a true leader. It's not going to be enough though, is it? As strong as Sora is in this world, his time is running out. Three years. That was the estimate Dr Samson gave, along with the diagnosis. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: a degenerative nerve disorder that will slowly kill Sora. Even if this world doesn't kill him, his condition surely will. Despite this, Sora is the most fearless of us all. He is determined to fight, to protect us, to prevent any of us from suffering a loss. How can I be more like him?_ As Sora jogs, a wolf spawns in up ahead, charging straight towards Sora with fangs bared viciously. Sora draws his sword and readies his Sword Skill, before slaying the wolf with a single Vorpal Strike. _I refuse to die! Send me Dragons, send me Demons, send me the Seven Princes of Hell, I don't care! I will not die so long as Sachi lives. So long as she needs me. I will not be the cause of her grief, and nor will I allow anyone else to be. No matter what it takes, I will beat this game! Akihiko Kayaba: I will even beat you, for Sachi!_

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**November 6th 2022 – 2233 AST  
Horunka Inn – Horunka Village**

The Moonlit Black Cats sit around a table in the room they have rented in a small inn. Sora seems to be absorbed with scouring his map, as well as a guidebook he had picked up at an item merchant's store earlier in the day. Though the others are no longer gripped by fear, they still seem to feel it creeping over them from time to time, causing them to shudder at intervals despite the warmth radiating from the log fire on the east side of the room. Keita fidgets uncomfortably, feeling strained by the silence, which he breaks.

“There's something I can't figure out. How exactly can the NerveGear be used to harm us? You said you know something about it right, Sora? You said you didn't understand it all, but understood enough? Maybe we can fill in the blanks then.” Sora closes his guidebook with a small sigh.

“This isn't exactly the best topic of conversation, but I guess we can't ignore it either. From what I've read, Akihiko Kayaba created the NerveGear by combining existing VR headsets with the modified form of a device that's used in trans... transcranial magnetic stimulation. The NerveGear creates a targeted, low-level electromagnetic field that acts upon the brain and upon our bioelectric currents. I think. It's tricky to understand, but the article said that this can be used to harmlessly disrupt our neur... neurotransmitters? I think that's what they were called. The disruption is supposed to stop us moving our real bodies while using the NerveGear, allowing for another component, based upon electro... myographic sensors... which relay our nerve signals into the game. Am I making sense so far? Have I made any mistakes?” Ducker and Keita look utterly bewildered, but Tetsuo seems to follow him.

“Ah, I think I know what you're talking about. I've read about transcranial magnetic stimulation as a means of therapy for mental disorders like depression, so I have a general idea of how that works. I believe Sachi knows more about neurotransmitters than I do since she's stronger with biology, but I know the basics. I've also read about electromyographic sensors. They're used in bionic limbs, relaying nerve signals to the motors and actuators in the limbs. The NerveGear makes use of all these things? That's pretty hardcore. No wonder it took this long to develop. I think I might understand how the NerveGear can be dangerous, as well.” Sora nods.

“That helps me out then. What I've read about transcranial magnetic stimulation shows that it's safe, for the most part, but if the magnetic pulse is intense enough, it can cause serious harm. Even at safe levels, there are rare instances of TMS resulting in a seizure. So an intense magnetic pulse would cause greater damage, especially as it induces an electrical charge within the brain. I don't know how powerful of a pulse the NerveGear can generate, but if 213 players have died already, then clearly it is enough to kill.” Sachi weighs in on the matter.

“This is clearly something Kayaba has been planning for a long time. To rely on a seizure to kill is quite foolish. It's possible to survive one given appropriate countermeasures. Kayaba has covered multiple bases however, utilising multiple aspects of the NerveGear's design, in order to guarantee that death will occur. I believe then that Kayaba's focus has been upon the electrical charge that a targeted magnetic pulse can induce within the brain. It's possible that the charge can damage the brain directly, but it could also be intended to interfere with neurotransmitters. Glutamate and Acetylcholine are two in particular that are not to be messed with. Serotonin as well can be deeply problematic if interfered with. So, even if the charge is too low to damage the brain physically, it could still substantially disrupt our neurotransmitters, resulting in death. It looks like Kayaba has taken a multi-pronged approach to this. Ultimately though, I can't say for certain what the magnetic pulse will do, since I don't know how powerful it could potentially be. I don't even know how it's being intensified.” Sora is silent for a moment, then the answer clicks in his head.

“Of course, the recharging unit. The NerveGear contains an internal battery, and a unit which continuously regulates the current that recharges that battery, shutting off the current when necessary to avoid overcharging the battery. When I examined the technical schematics for the NerveGear, I thought that the recharging unit looked oddly primitive for something so advanced. Now I realise it's not primitive at all. What I was looking at was actually a transformer. With that, it can ramp up the voltage produced by the internal battery. Feeding that into the magnetic coils will result in a stronger magnetic field. I'd also imagine that whatever capacitors exist within the NerveGear can be disconnected or bypassed in some way, essentially removing the limitations upon the electrical current. An unrestrained current enters the coil array, where it is used to power magnetic pulses. In its unrestrained state, those pulses become greatly intensified, resulting in fatal damage to the brain, most likely in more than one manner. You're right, Onē-chan. Kayaba has been planning this for a long time. It's the only explanation. Nothing this intricate could be devised on a whim. Kayaba has wanted to created this death game for many years, and designed the NerveGear specifically for that end. Well, that's all the more reason for me to tear his fantasy world to pieces before his very eyes. I'll break everything he throws at me, burn his dream world to ashes, and when I get my hands on him I'll punch him right in his big, arrogant mouth.”


	2. Ill Prepared for Illfang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four weeks have passed since 10,000 players were trapped inside the world of Sword Art Online. More than 2,000 have died so far, and progress has stalled. Everyone is still stuck on Floor 1, but this is about to change. The lair of Illfang the Kobold Lord has been discovered, and a raid group heads out to beat this boss. Sachi, Sora and their friends are arguably the strongest players in the battle, but will they be strong enough to ensure the battle goes smoothly?
> 
> Meanwhile, Dr Samson meets the man who give Sora their copy of SAO.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to keep the Boss Strategy Meeting as similar to the canon version as possible as a means of showing that not everything will change due to Sora's presence in the game. There are going to be some differences with him there, and yet some things will remain the same. I feel that this chapter in particular does a very good job of highlighting this.
> 
> This chapter is also home to a few good examples of the strength of the bonds between Sora and Sachi, the reasons for which have already been covered. It also highlights the kind of person that Sora is, not just in terms of personality but intellect, instinct and reflexes as well. The point of this chapter was to drive home the fact that Sora can indeed make a big difference, given the opportunity and sufficient support from those closest to him.

**November 7th 2022 – 1253 JST  
Tokoruzawa Hospital**

Dr Samson conducts a painstakingly thorough inspection of an array of life-support equipment, scrutinizing every component, down to the nuts and bolts, with hawkish eyes. The equipment is connected to Sora, who lay unconscious in a hospital bed, still wearing the NerveGear. Dr Samson glances at the boy sadly. _Still no signs of consciousness, but I guess that's to be expected. Of the one thousand beta testers Sword Art Online had, two hundred of those have not entered the game. They all make the same testimony however: that SAO is an expansive, open-world game taking place across one hundred floors in a world called Aincrad. They speak of a beta tester who made it as far as Floor 8 during the entire length of testing, but no further than that. Sora and the others must only be on Floor 1 then. How long will they be there, though? How long will it be before someone clears the game? Months? Years? Sora doesn't have that much time. Three years was the prognosis, but being trapped in the Virtual World will not help his condition. The onset of ALS can be delayed and mildly alleviated by light aerobic exercises, but Sora cannot move a single muscle of his real body while he's trapped. Only those that move involuntarily, like his heart and diaphragm, are unaffected. That's not enough. Sora's condition may well progress faster then, bringing an end to his life earlier than predicted. That being said, transcranial magnetic stimulation has been proposed as a form of treatment for ALS, but insufficient research and experimentation has been conducted to prove its effectiveness, or even to show that it is effective at all in the long term. He needs to get out of there, as soon as possible, but I guess the only way he can do that is if he proves to be stronger than this rumoured beta tester. How strong was this person, and how strong is Sora by comparison?_ A commotion outside draws Dr Samson out of his thoughts as he hears frantic and desperate shouting. Most of what is said is muffled by the closed door, but some of it is discernable, especially the plea at the end.

“Please! You have to tell me if he's here! I have to know if he's okay!” Dr Samson emerges from the room, seeing a man in his early twenties. The man has shortish blond hair, lightly spiked. His pale blue eyes show fear and anxiety, and desperation. Several nurses and security guards try to restrain the man, who struggles constantly.

“What's the meaning of this? This is a hospital, there are patients who need their rest.” The man faces Dr Samson desperately.

“I'm looking for someone! I need to know if they're here! It's a boy, maybe ten years old. His eyes are different colours, brown and green.” Dr Samson, flinches.

“Let him go.” The nurses and security guards look at Dr Samson questioningly, prompting him to repeat himself.

“Let him go, I said. I think it's best if I speak with him.” The man is released, and he rushes over to Dr Samson, who raises his hand.

“It is important that you calm down. I can't guarantee that you'll be allowed to stay here if you continue making a commotion. May I ask, who is the boy to you?” The man takes a moment to catch his breath.

“My name's Taro Kitamura. I'm not a relative, or anything like that. I only met him two days ago. I was planning on playing Sword Art Online myself but... I ended up giving the game to a boy by that description. I thought I was doing a good deed, but then I heard about the players being trapped and-” Dr Samson places a hand on Taro's shoulder.

“I see. So _you're_ the one. When the Ministry of Internal Affairs' SAO Crisis Response Team initiated the Emergency Player Relocation Operation, he was brought in to this hospital this morning. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but Sora _is_ amongst the players trapped in Sword Art Online. My name is Victor Samson. I'm Sora's personal physician. He's in here.” Dr Samson leads Taro into the room. As soon as he sees Sora, he rushes over, and collapses to his knees, breaking down in tears.

“It's all my fault! I should be in there, not him! He's just a child, he doesn't deserve this.” Dr Samson speaks reassuringly.

“You had no way of knowing that this would happen. No-one did, except Akihiko Kayaba. He alone planned this, and he alone is responsible. You did nothing wrong. You were simply trying to bring joy into a child's life. I know Sora very well. Joy is one thing he has been lacking in his short life. Your kindness meant more to him than he will ever be capable of expressing. I know it may be hard to imagine, but I can assure you that he won't harbour any grudge against you. He's not in Sword Art Online alone. He is with his sister, and four of their friends. They have experience in RPGs, so they have an advantage over other players. Sora will do whatever it takes to protect his sister, and she will do whatever it takes to protect him. As long as they have each other, they'll make it through this. All we can do in the meantime is watch over them, wait for them, and pray.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**December 3rd 2022 – 1407 AST  
Current SAO Population: 7,787 players**

Sora stands deep inside of a vast cathedral. Before him is a great black wall, with ten thousand names carved into it. More than a fifth of these names have been crossed out with a double strike-through. Footsteps echo in the silence, and Sachi appears at Sora's right shoulder. He doesn't say anything immediately, only after a few more moments.

“It's almost too much to take in, isn't it? Not even a full month, and yet we've lost two thousand players, in addition to the two hundred thirteen that were killed on launch day. Most of these were normal players, but I've heard a rumour that there were a lot of beta testers amongst those we've lost. Around three hundred of these crossed-out names are believed to have been betas.” Sachi looks at her brother sadly.

“Sora...” He looks up at her, and smiles warmly.

“I'm not giving up, Onē-chan. They may have been beta testers, but that doesn't mean anything in the long run. They got to test the game out before the rest of us, but this could still have been their first RPG. Just because they died, doesn't mean that we will too. We're strong, Sachi onē-sama. Stronger than most others in this world. A month, almost, and the Moonlit Black Cats is already one of the most well known guilds, rivalling the Divine Dragons Alliance and the Aincrad Liberation Squad in terms of power and skill. We've levelled up faster than most players have. Only other RPG veterans can keep up with us. We've come a long way in a short time, so there's no way in Hell I'm giving up this easily. I made a promise to all of you: that I would protect you and help you get out of this game. I meant that. We're working together pretty well, but I can see that things get a little shaky for us from time to time. We'll have to work on that, as soon as possible. One wobble at the wrong time, and one of us could...” Sora shakes his head, banishing the thought.

“No, I won't let that happen! I'll get stronger. I'll get a lot stronger. Strong enough so that no amount of wobbling will harm us. Strong enough to take on a swarm of Dragons, or an army of Demons. Strong enough to clear the 100th Floor of Aincrad. I have to.” Sachi looks at her brother in awe. After a moment, he looks up at her curiously.

“Oh right, you came looking for me didn't you? Does that mean Keita wants us all together for something?” Sachi falters, then nods.

“Y-Yeah, he said there's going to be a strategy meeting for a boss fight. It sounds like we've finally found the Floor Boss.” Sora looks pleased to hear this.

“At last! I've been waiting for a boss monster to try out my new sword! Let's go, Onē-chan!” Sora runs ahead, leaving Sachi almost in a daze. _There he goes again, demonstrating his strength and his courage, his resolve to defy all odds. A part of me wants to believe that he hasn't been able to comprehend the reality of the situation we're in, but I know that isn't true. Sora_ does _understand that we're trapped in a Death Game, and yet he refuses to allow himself to feel fear. I'm sure deep down he's worried, but he's forcing himself to repress that feeling, replacing it with bravery and conviction. He's forcing himself to be strong for the rest of us. I envy him. I need to be able to support him, but when I think about losing him... I just don't know what to do._ Sachi shakes her head, before following after Sora. She quickly catches up to him despite his eagerness, as he tends to dart back and forth instead of in a straight line, marvelling at his surroundings. The pair are able to travel through the fields with very little difficulty, owing to other players being out and fighting the mobs that spawn in. Soon enough, the two of them pass through the castle walls of a large town, Sora still meandering excitedly.

“Tolbana's a pretty big place, huh? Doesn't quite feel as big as the Town of Beginnings though. I can walk across town a lot faster here. Still big though.” Sachi thinks back.

“If I remember rightly, Keita said it was the second largest town on this Floor, measuring two hundred metres across. It's nicer than the Town of Beginnings, I think. I like the windmills and the fountains around here. It's quaint.” Sora smiles.

“True, but it can't hold a candle to the Mystic Valley right, Onē-chan?” Sachi nods resolutely.

“You got that right. You'll be hard pressed to find anywhere more majestic than the Mystic Valley, but then again I'm biased.” Sora grins mischievously.

“Doesn't mean you're not right, though. Just means that some people might not be so quick to agree. Ah, there's Keita! Heyo!” Keita turns to greet Sora at this, as do Ducker, Sasamaru and Tetsuo.

“Someone's awfully lively today. Have you been eating sweets or something?” Sora pouts.

“Stop treating me like a child! I'm just eager to try out my sword on a worthy opponent. Wolves and Boars are just too boring to go all-out on.” Sasamaru raises an eyebrow.

“Did you get your sword enhanced _again_? How did you get the materials for that?” Sora tilts his head, looking confused by the question.

“Monsters spawn in, I kill them, I pick up everything they drop. It's not like I'm doing anything special. Ah, I think it's because I'm on the frontlines. Everything tries to get past me but can't break through. If you were at the front too, you'd be able to get more drops, but a lancer is a mid-line fighter, not frontline. That's right isn't it, Onē-chan?” Sachi nods.

“That's right. Sasamaru and I have to stay further back, since spears and pikes aren't very useful for blocking. We're supposed to finish off any mobs that get past you, but it's very rare that any manage this since you've become so strong. Even Tetsuo can't get many kills, and he's up front with you.” Keita ponders this.

“Hm. We might have to think about pulling Nebula back from the frontlines then, so that the rest of us can level up too. Only in standard exp farming though. For important battles: we'll need Nebula at the front. His skill and strength will be crucial for those battles. He's the best equipped for it at the moment. Speaking of which: there's a boss strategy meeting about to be held at the amphitheatre. From the sounds of things, they've finally found the lair of the Floor Boss. Looks like you'll get your wish then.” The group makes its way over to the amphitheatre, where they find that a number of other players have already gathered, only one of whom Sora recognises: a tall, muscular male with dark skin, a shaved head, and calm brown eyes. Despite his build, the male seems to give off an approachable air. Sora leads his friends over to this male. 

“Hey, Agil. You're participating in the boss fight too?” The male smiles warmly at Sora.

“That's right, little man. A boss fight is a good opportunity to get rare and valuable items. Knowing that the Moonlit Black Cats will be involved makes me feel better already. Yours is the strongest guild here after all. Doesn't look like the Divine Dragons Alliance is getting involved, and only a few members of the Aincrad Liberation Squad showed up. Not their best members either. Looks like you guys will be going toe-to-toe with the boss itself then.” Sora seems delighted by the news.

“Perfect! That's just what I was hoping to hear. This will be a perfect opportunity for me to assess the enhancements I've placed on my Anneal Blade +5. I'll need to know what needs boosting and what can be ignored for future enhancements.” Keita looks around at the gathered players, and the solitary player standing on the stage.

“Are we expecting more players to arrive?” Agil shrugs.

“Can't be too sure myself. There wasn't really any kind of invitation sent out. Diavel there and a few players he'd partied with made an announcement calling for any available players to attend a boss strategy meeting. I'm not sure anyone else will show up, though. Most players I've met with so far don't feel confident enough in their skills for a boss fight. Even amongst the players here in Tolbana, there aren't too many who have ventured far into the Labyrinth.” Sora looks around as well, and notices Kirito arriving, taking a seat by himself. The solitary player on stage waits for a little while longer, before speaking, addressing everyone.

“Thank you all for coming on short notice. I'd like to start by introducing myself. My name is Diavel, and in this world; the role I landed is Knight.” The announcement earns some small laughter, and a voice shouts out from the audience.

“Dude! There's no class system in this game!” Once the laughter dies down, Diavel becomes more serious.

“Alright, here's the deal. Earlier today, my party and I found the location of the Floor 1 boss. As the strongest players here, we all have a responsibility to show everyone else that this game _can_ be cleared.” While the audience mutters to one another with some excitement, a lone voice interrupts.

“Hold it!” Everyone turns to see a silhouetted figure standing at the top of the amphitheatre's seating area. This figure rushes down, before leaping onto the stage, revealing a youngish male with spiked sienna-colour hair, matching sienna goatee and brown eyes. He wears scale armour and has a longsword strapped to his back. He turns to face the audience.

“My name is Kibaou, and I have something I want to get off my chest. Since this game started, we've lost more than two thousand players. I think there are people who need to answer for that!” The audience breaks into mutters, while Diavel speaks up.

“Kibaou, I think I know who you mean. You're talking about the beta testers, right?” Kibaou nods.

“That's right! The day we were trapped in here, those beta testers took off, leaving the rest of us behind. They've taken all the good farming spots _and_ all the items for themselves. Those guys should be made to apologise for the people who died! They should give up half their money _and_ half their items! I bet there's even a few beta testers here right now. Show yourselves!” Sora can feel tension building in the air as the audience mutters, glancing about suspiciously. Agil rises to his feet.

“Mind if I say a few words?” Kibaou looks up at Agil as the man towers over him, baulking slightly in the latter's presence.

“My name's Agil. You're Kibaou, right? Let me just make sure I got this straight: You're saying that the beta testers should apologise for the players that died? That they should give up half their earnings?” Kibaou tries to hold his confidence.

“That's right.” Agil holds up a book.

“You know what this is, don't you? It's a guidebook, filled with information about monsters and tips for playing the game.” Kibaou doesn't seem to be following.

“What about it?” Agil addresses the audience as much as Kibaou.

“You know who wrote these guides? The former beta testers. These guidebooks are available for free at any store. Everyone has equal access to this information. Even so, a lot of players died. I'm not here to place blame. I'm here to learn from these rookies' deaths.” Sora stands as well, entering the conversation.

“Agil's right. There's no point in blaming the beta testers for the players who died. I can't confirm this, but I heard that three hundred beta testers were among those who have died already. That means that being a beta tester doesn't guarantee your survival in this world. The players that are faring best, are the players with experience in RPGs. It's the ones who have kept their wits about them when things get dangerous. Ultimately, the beta testers are no more or less likely to survive here than the rest of us. Believe me, I'm as bothered by the deaths as you are. I was at the Monument of Life just before coming to this meeting.” Kibaou looks at Sora quizzically.

“You've got some pretty good equipment on you. Are you a beta tester? Is that why you're defending them?” Sora looks at Kibaou sardonically.

“You seriously think I'm a beta tester? Dude, I'm nine years old. I've got good gear because I worked hard for it. My name's Nebula, and I'm a frontline fighter for the Moonlit Black Cats.” Diavel frowns.

“That sounds like a guild, but I wasn't aware that guilds could be formed yet.” Sora shakes his head.

“Officially they can't, but we're a permanent party intent upon forming the guild officially once we're able to. There's a few unofficial guilds around at the moment, including the Divine Dragons Alliance, MMO Today and the Aincrad Liberation Squad.” Kibaou questions Sora again, seeming to be clutching at straws.

“You really don't think the beta testers are to blame?” Sora shakes his head firmly.

“Absolutely not. From what I've heard, only one of them was any real good, and even _they_ only made it to Floor 8. These people are just ordinary players who got lucky to test this game early. It doesn't mean they were good at it, or learned anything particularly useful. Only a handful at best would have been experienced enough as gamers to do anything. Those beta testers are the ones that created the guidebook, and provided the information that's in it. The rest: they'd be no different to you or me.” Kibaou backs down reluctantly, unable to argue his point any longer. He sits down heavily at the front of the audience, while Agil and Sora return to their seats. Sachi holds Sora's hand.

“Well said, little bro.” Diavel shakes off the exchange.

“I'd like to get back to the purpose of this meeting. For information on the boss: it's all in the guide book you just heard about. The name of the boss is Illfang the Kobold Lord. He is protected by his minions: the Ruin Kobold Sentinels. Illfang is armed with an axe and a wooden shield called a Buckler. He has three health bars, and when he drops below half health, he switches to a curved sword called a Talwar. Now, for this boss fight, we'll need to form parties of six players.” Sora looks around, watching as the audience quickly forms groups, with players adding each other to their respective Friend Lists. He notices that Kirito moves over to join the only other solitary player: a slender figure hidden beneath a hooded cloak. _Hm? So Kirito didn't join with that Klein guy? I don't see him around, actually. Did they split up after I last saw them then?_ Diavel starts speaking once more.

“I'll assign specific roles for each group tomorrow, and we'll leave at ten in the morning. Until then, rest up and prepare yourselves for the battle to come.” Several players leave, including Kirito and his hooded companion. Kibaou skulks away as well, but Diavel calls out to Sora.

“Nebula... I wanted to thank you, for speaking up about the beta testers. It's not that I don't understand where Kibaou was coming from, but it feels wrong to point the blame the way he was. It takes courage, to speak out like that, especially in defence of someone being accused.” Sora shrugs.

“I just said what I believed was right. I met one of the beta testers on the first day, the one who made it to Floor 8 as it happens. Aside from explaining the specifics on Sword Skills, he didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know or have the capacity to figure out by myself. Kibaou made the mistake of believing that the beta testers are smarter and stronger than they really are. He put them on a pedestal, I think is the term. He's limiting his own potential that way.” Diavel nods.

“Very well said. It's hard to believe that you're really nine years old. Is that actually true? SAO is age-restricted after all.” Sora looks at Diavel disapprovingly.

“Don't even think about treating me like a little kid. I'll have you know that I'm the highest level in my guild, unofficial though it may be. Yeah, it's true. Somehow I don't think Akihiko Kayaba is going to care about my age though. It's not like I'm the only underage player anyway. I've seen others running around the Town of Beginnings, some of them younger than me. Age is just a number. What's important is the fact that I have two years of experience with RPGs. All of us in the Moonlit Black Cats have at least that much experience. We've been applying a lot of that to this game, along with common sense, to become as strong as we are now. So you can count on us in tomorrow's boss fight. No matter what happens, the Moonlit Black Cats will make sure everyone comes back alive.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**December 3rd 2022 – 2101 AST  
Sunflower Inn, Tolbana**

Sora lay on a bed, reading the guidebook. Sachi lay next to him, staring at the ceiling. Keita, Ducker, Tetsuo and Sasamaru all sit around a table in the centre of the room, playing poker. Ducker breaks the silence.

“That was a pretty interesting meeting, if you ask me. That Diavel guy seems alright. Started off by breaking the ice, putting us at ease, then got down to business. Kinda reminded me of Keita. He's someone with experience being a leader, that's the impression I got.” Tetsuo, Sasamaru and Keita all nod in agreement. Sachi is silent for a moment, her expression troubled.

“I don't trust him.” Ducker jolts.

“Say what? Why not?” Sachi doesn't answer right away.

“It's hard for me to put it into words, but there's something about him that troubles me. He was vague on how his party found Illfang's whereabouts, and how they found out so much about it. Then there was the incident with Kibaou. He seemed a little annoyed with the accusation. When Sora said that the beta testers weren't special, he looked offended by that, if only for a moment. I get the feeling he's planning something, something underhanded. I caught him glancing darkly at Kirito, and as we were leaving, it seemed like he was almost fearful of Sora. I don't know... something about him just feels really suspicious.” The group seems to ponder this, until Sora speaks up.

“It's probably because he's a beta tester.” Everyone looks at Sora in shock. Keita manages to find his voice first.

“H-He is? How can you tell?” Sora doesn't look up from the guidebook.

“He knows too much about Illfang. I've been reading this guidebook very carefully. Nowhere does it say that Illfang has three health bars. Nowhere does it say that Illfang will switch to a Talwar, or to any weapon for that matter, at half health. Yet, that's what Diavel claimed would happen. The only explanation is that he's fought against Illfang in the beta test.” The rest of the Black Cats rush to pull out their guidebooks and rifle through the pages. Sasamaru proves to be the fastest at this.

“He's right. There's nothing here about Illfang's health, or a Talwar. Just the basics. Diavel _must_ be a beta tester then. That would explain why he was annoyed by the accusations, and why he was offended by Sora's remarks.” Keita tries to act as the voice of reason.

“Maybe so, but that doesn't make him suspicious, does it?” Sora answers first.

“Actually, it makes him worse than that. It makes him dangerous.” Keita is stunned silent, so Sachi asks instead.

“Dangerous? In what way?” Sora closes the guidebook.

“Diavel is leading this boss fight. He's coordinating us all, using strategies based upon the information he's gained from the beta test. That might _sound_ good, but how many games are exactly the same in the beta stage as they are in the final product? Don't developers usually make changes to the game after the beta testing is concluded?” Sachi catches on to Sora's logic.

“So if Diavel is making strategies based on the beta test, they might not be applicable to tomorrow's battle. If Akihiko Kayaba changed anything about Illfang, we won't be prepared for it. We could be going in with too few players, with the wrong equipment, or just with strategies that won't be very effective. With death in the game meaning death in real life, someone could end up being lost. Permanently.” Keita pales, but manages to find his voice.

“S-So... what do we do?” Sora sits up, and speaks confidently.

“We do what we always do. We take the knowledge we've built up over the years, and we apply it to the situation as best we can. We use common sense, and we work as a team, as we always do. Trust in one another. Don't take any risks. Use the strategies we already know are effective. I'm the highest level, and I have the best gear. I'll protect you all from Illfang. You have my word on that, but I'll need your help to do it. I may have to protect the other players as well, which will make things more difficult for me. Keep the Ruin Kobold Sentinels off my back so I can focus on Illfang. As long as we work together as we always do, we'll pull through this. I made a vow that we would ensure everyone comes back alive. Help me to make good on that.” Sachi embraces Sora from behind. He thinks to struggle, but he feels her trembling, so allows it, placing his hands on top of hers reassuringly. Sasamaru speaks for everyone.

“You can count on us, Sora. We're all in this together, after all.” Sora nods appreciatively. Tetsuo turns to Sora, seeking to lighten the mood.

“By the way, what enhancements did you place on your Anneal Blade? You said it's at +5 now, right?” Sora nods again.

“Yeah, but I don't really know what I want to prioritise at the moment. There's five different enhancements that can go on weapons: sharpness, quickness, accuracy, heaviness and durability. I've raised all of those equally. As I said to Agil: I'm hoping this boss fight will show me which enhancements I need most. I think I'll be safe to ignore heaviness in future, maybe, but I don't want to jump to any conclusions just yet. If I make the wrong decisions, I might have to deal with the consequences for quite a while, until I can get a suitable replacement sword. That's why I chose to raise each enhancement equally. When in doubt: share it out. Versatility is always a safe choice until you know for sure what specialisation to go for.” The males of the group all look at Sora in awe, with only Tetsuo managing to respond.

“Wow...” Sachi hugs Sora tightly, emanating pride.

“That's my little bro.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**December 4th 2022 – 1003 AST  
On the route to the Floor 1 Labyrinth**

The Moonlit Black Cats follow the rest of the Raid Party towards the Floor 1 Labyrinth, hanging back just a tiny bit. Sachi and Sora hang further back than the others, so that they can talk to one another privately. Sachi's mood is far from positive.

“I've made up my mind. That Diavel guy is _definitely_ planning something shady. It's the only explanation for him assigning us to fighting the Sentinels, along with the Odd Couple. You're strong, Sora. You're the only one who can stand up to Illfang, but Diavel doesn't want that. He's up to something, and I'm not cool with that.” Sora shrugs.

“Maybe he is, but who cares? It's not like he can do much anyway. His equipment is pretty lacklustre. If anything, he's just trying to secure himself a special reward from the boss. He can have it for all I care. It won't make him stronger than me. Besides, if we're fighting the Sentinels, then everyone else can focus on Illfang without any worries. We'll keep on top of everything with ease. You know, I kinda figured you'd prefer it this way, to be honest.” Sachi looks at Sora, perplexed.

“Huh? Why?” Sora speaks seriously.

“Because it's safer this way. I might be strong, but Illfang will be strong too. If I'm not fighting him, there's no reason for me to be killed by him. You've been worried about that, haven't you? I can tell. You barely slept at all last night. You were worried that something would go wrong in the fight, and that I'd die. It's not just that either though, is it? You're also worried about me because of my condition. You're worried that we'll be trapped in here too long, and I'll die in the real world regardless of what happens here. Even more so that it might happen when you all need me the most.” Sachi is silent for a while. She thinks about trying to deny what Sora said, but she knows it would be pointless.

“You can read me like a book, huh.” Sora shakes his head.

“It's not like that. How do you think I knew you barely slept? It's because I was up all night too, worrying about you the same way. It was only when I heard you had fallen asleep that I managed to do the same. We can't afford to lose one another, but if we keep on worrying like this, we're going to. Forget about my condition, first of all. We won't be here that long, I promise. Just because it took time for us to find Illfang, doesn't mean the pace won't pick up later on. We'll be out of here long before my time runs out. It's the game itself we need to focus on, and for that I'll need your help. Sachi... Onē-sama... no matter what happens, I need you to support me. More than anyone else, I need _you_ to support me. As long as I know you have my back, I can turn any fight around. I'll be able to protect everyone, no matter what happens, as long as I have you with me. My life is in your hands.” Sachi is stunned by Sora's response. _He was up all night too? He was really worrying about me, so much that he couldn't fall asleep until I did? I misunderstood him. He_ does _feel fear, but only in regards to me. He just does everything in his power to avoid showing even the slightest hint of his fears. He puts on a mask of strength and bravery for my sake, to keep me from being frozen by fear. By worrying about him, I've been betraying him. He needs me, now more than ever._

“You'll have my support. Any time, anywhere. No matter the situation. As long as you need my support, I'll be there to provide it. As much of it as you need. You have my word on that. As much as your life is in my hands, my life is in yours. We're in this together after all, so we need to get out of it together as well.” After some silence, the pair hear footsteps, and notice Kirito and his companion catching up. Kirito seems to have something on his mind.

“Hey, Nebula. Been a while huh? I've been wondering something since yesterday's meeting: where did you hear about the beta testers who'd died?” Sora glances at Kirito.

“It was from this girl with whisker-markings on her face. Argo, I think her name was. She said that she was an Info Merchant, but she shared that information with me for free 'as a courtesy,' or so she called it. She'd gotten into a bit of a tough scrape with a pack of Wild Dogs, and I helped her out. My instincts tell me that she's a beta tester too, not that that matters to me. She said she knew most of the beta testers, though not all of them are in the game, apparently. She recognised a lot of the crossed-out names, saying that the ones she recognised were all betas.” Kirito's companion speaks out, with a stern female voice.

“This Argo is planning on selling information for profit? Shouldn't information be shared equally, for free?” Kirito thinks to defend Argo, but Sora beats him to it.

“This is a Death Game. Not every player in it is as brave as you or I. There are less than eight thousand survivors. Of those, only around two hundred have ventured further than Horunka Village to reach Tolbana. The overwhelming majority of players are staying at the Town of Beginnings, perhaps for the duration. There's only a handful of players discovering new information, which Argo has said she'll pay for. She's got some knowledge, but knowledge alone isn't enough to survive in this world. Kibaou isn't the only player around with a dislike of beta testers, which means it'll be very hard for Argo to party up or join a guild. She'll be on her own most of the time, and she can't survive like that. I had to protect her from Wild Dogs out in the field, so a dungeon would be extremely difficult for her to handle, at least until she can get better gear and equipment. She can't get those from monsters since she's not in great shape to fight them, and nor can she buy them without money. Selling information is basically her only option then, but even then she won't have much money since she's buying a lot of information as well. As I said though, not every character is as brave as we are. Argo is painfully aware of the dangers of this game, and she even knows that being a beta tester won't improve her odds of survival. 30% of all the beta testers have died already, and not all of them where in the game to begin with. Argo reckons there's around five hundred still alive, but that number could very well drop considerably at any time. Since beta testers are stigmatised, pretty much all of them are playing solo, or else teaming up with other betas. Even so, it's already been proven that being a beta tester doesn't really mean anything to your chances of survival. It only takes one moment of fear to get you killed, regardless of your knowledge and experience.” The hooded female regards Sora curiously.

“Are you really nine years old? You sound a lot older.” Sora looks at the girl questioningly.

“Does my height not give me away? I mean, I'm not even tall enough to punch Agil in the crotch.” Sachi snorts, trying to stifle her laughter. The hooded female tilts her head, allowing Sora to catch a glimpse of her orange-brown hair and hazel eyes.

“Which one's Agil again?” Sora points to the tallest, most muscular player in the raid group.

“He's the juggernaut with the battleaxe. Don't let his appearance fool you, Agil's a cool guy, really friendly and easy to get along with. If you happen to get into a tough situation in this boss fight, and you can't make it to my friends and I, then try to reach Agil. He'll watch your back. I've seen him fight, and I know that even boss monsters will struggle to deal any damage to him. Since you're on Kobold duty with us though, you should be fine. You'll have trouble finding anything to fight against, actually. I don't really know how to hold back when it comes to smashing monsters. I tend to just fight until there's nothing left to fight against.” Kirito raises an eyebrow.

“I almost forgot about that. It seems strange to have you guys fighting the minions given how strong you all are. You'd be better off tanking Illfang, but Diavel seems opposed to that idea. I don't get it.” Sachi turns away, looking visibly annoyed, but Sora seems indifferent.

“Maybe, but it makes sense when you remember that this is a Death Game. There's no point in making one strong player even stronger at the cost of keeping other players weak. If you lose that strong player, everyone else is doomed. So, it seems likely that Diavel is doing this for the sake of sharing exp to those who need it most, so that we can have lots of stronger players instead of just one.” Kirito ponders the answer.

“Ah, yeah I guess that makes sense then. We _are_ all in this together, and I don't think any singular player, or even one singular guild, will be able to clear the game without considerable support. Well, at least the other groups can breathe easier in this fight, knowing that they'll only have to worry about Illfang himself. Have you guys gotten the hang of Switching yet?” Sora nods confidently.

“Yeah, we've got that down perfectly. Sachi and I seem to be most effective when switching with one another. I parry, she jumps in to lance before falling back. I tank, parry, and let her switch in again. Lather rinse repeat, until the mobs are dead.” Kirito's companion speaks up again.

“Switching? I'm not familiar with that term.” Kirito sags, seemingly put out by the statement. Sora explains patiently.

“Switching is when you switch places with another player in the middle of a battle. It's a technique used to maximise damage output and minimise damage received by taking advantage of both players' builds. Using myself and Sachi as an example, I always start off on the frontline. When a monster strikes at me, I perform a parry, knocking them off-balance and leaving them vulnerable. I Switch with Sachi so that she can rush in and take advantage of the monster's vulnerable state, striking swiftly and at range to deal heavy damage. As the monster starts to recover, she Switches with me. I tank against the monster's retaliation before making another parry. We maintain that pattern until the monster drops dead. Boss fights will be a little harder though, since a boss' attack patterns tend to change once or twice during the battle. When that seems likely, I stay out longer, tanking everything until we figure out the new patterns and adapt our Switching to it. If I get any opportunities to attack, I will, but my priority is to defend and study.” The hooded figure sounds intrigued.

“I see now. That's an effective strategy, as long as there are no hidden surprises. Another question then: I use a Rapier, so what role would I play in Switching?” Sachi jumps on this answer.

“The same as my role: damage dealer. You're teaming up with Kirito, who uses a heavier longsword. Rapiers are light, so they can't parry heavy weapons unless you've added the Heaviness enhancement to your weapon, which is not at all recommended for Rapiers. Quickness and Accuracy are best for Rapiers, followed by Sharpness and Durability. Kirito will play the same role as Nebula then, defending against attacks and performing the parry, allowing you to rush in and strike hard and fast. Just don't get cocky. Most times, you'll only be able to land one or two hits, unless you happen to have a very high-speed Sword Skill. If you push your luck, you'll be hit by the retaliation, and Rapiers aren't good defensive swords. You run the risk of taking a lot of damage if you get overconfident. I should also point out that Switching works best when you trust your partner. That's why Nebula and I are so good at it. We trust each other implicitly, without any shadow of a doubt. Then again, we've been playing RPGs together for two years, though usually he plays as a Ranger or Wizard, supporting me from a distance to avoid accidentally kiting enemies to me.” Kirito looks at Sora with deep intrigue.

“You're normally a Supporter? It must have been quite a shock to find there's no magic or ranging gear here then. Now you're a frontline fighter.” Sora shrugs.

“It took a little getting used to, but my guild has helped me to adapt to my new role. I still Support, just in a very different style. It's not like there was anything else I could choose besides Sword & Shield. Not realistically anyway. I thought about using a spear, for all of three seconds, but it would have been a very poor choice. Sachi on the other hand has experience with the role, and she was the Vice President of a Naginatajutsu Club during Middle School, in addition to being the school's team captain. She still practices Naginatajutsu actually, just not in a club. I doubt there's anyone in this game who knows their way around a spear like Sachi does.” Kirito glances at Sachi with a hint of fear.

“Wow, I never considered that anyone here would be bringing real-world knowledge into the game, although I have done Kendo myself in the past, but that was a while ago now. Remind me not to get on Sachi's bad side, then.” Sora pats Kirito on the shoulder.

“Good call. You'll definitely live longer if you stay in her good books. She doesn't look the type, but she can have a real mean streak when push comes to shove. Especially when those closest to her are in trouble.” The hooded figure addresses Sora curiously.

“You seem to know an awful lot about Sachi. The two of you sound very close. How do you two know each other so well, to have implicit trust in one another?” Sachi answers before Sora can.

“That'll have to wait for another time. We're here.” Sora is just as surprised to realise this as Kirito and his companion are. They hadn't noticed that they'd entered the Labyrinth and reached the boss room, where the raid party has gathered around to face Diavel. He takes a moment to let the tension build.

“Alright. Through this door is Illfang, and his Ruin Kobold Sentinels. You all know what needs to be done. We stick to the plans, and everything will be fine. Let's win this!” The gathered players let out a powerful war chant in unison, before following Diavel into the Boss Room. They move through the great, vaulted chamber quickly. When they reach the halfway point, the torches on the pillars on either side light up, and a giant, corpulent monster drops in from above, landing with earth-shaking force. The creature is covered with red fur, and has large, powerful jaws. It is armed with an axe and also wields a round wooden shield. As it lets out a fearsome roar, a number of small, heavily armoured humanoids spawn in. Diavel takes command straight away.

“Squad A: To the front of Illfang. Squads B and C: Take flanking positions on either side. Squad D: circle around to surround Illfang from behind. Squads E and F: Keep those Sentinels off our backs.” The players all rush to follow Diavel's instructions, and a fierce battle breaks out. Sora leads his group against the Sentinels. As the first of these lunges for Sora, he smashes it with a brutal swipe of his shield. The blow launches the Kobold into three of its companions, killing it and knocking the others to the ground. Ducker looks mildly shocked by this.

“Damn, dude. You _can_ hold back a _little_ , you know that, right?” Sora shrugs.

“I thought I was. These Sentinels are a lot weaker than I was expecting.” Keita and Tetsuo pounce upon the prone Kobolds, dealing heavy damage before dropping back as they recover, leaving Sora to rush in again. He holds the Kobolds at bay, distracting them from all other players. Occasionally, Sora catches glimpses of Kirito and his companion as the pair fights other Sentinels. _Huh. Kirito's partner is surprisingly skilled. She lacks basic RPG knowledge, but she handles that Rapier pretty well, though I still see room for improvement._ A roar from Illfang distracts Sora as the boss spawns more Sentinels. A good chunk of his top health bar is missing, and the four main groups seem to be performing very well under Diavel's guidance. As Sora knocks down two more Sentinels for Keita and Sasamaru to finish off, he hears a female cry of pain nearby. He turns to see a Kobold Sentinel lunging for Sachi, who has already taken slight damage and is in a poor position to defend.

“Sachi!” Sora hurls his shield at the Sentinel, knocking it off-balance and causing it to change aggro targets. The Kobold thrusts at Sora, who sidesteps the attack before punching the Kobold directly in the centre of the visor, ignoring the pain in his fist. He pushes his offensive, performing a two-hit Sword Skill of lateral slashes. The Kobold Sentinel falls dead upon the completion of the Horizontal Arc skill, and Sora fusses over Sachi.

“Are you alright? What happened?” Tetsuo speaks up sheepishly.

“It was my fault. I underestimated the speed of these Kobolds and one slipped past my mace. It won't happen again.” Sora retrieves his shield before responding flatly.

“Aim for their legs or torso. Even if you miss, the attacks ought to put the Kobolds out of step. Focus on immobilising the Sentinels rather than killing them outright.” Sora barely registers the shadow as it falls over him, but Sachi moves faster, lancing the Sentinel out of the air and killing it with a critical hit.

“Less lecturing, more watching your back, little bro.” Sora dashes forwards, slamming a Kobold behind Sachi under the chin with his shield. As it hits the floor, Sora thrusts his sword into its throat, killing it.

“Same to you, Onē-chan.” The siblings look at one another for a moment, before bursting out in laughter. Their merriment is cut short however, as Illfang roars once more. Sora sees that the boss has slipped into its final health bar. Around two dozen Sentinels spawn in, but this in itself doesn't trouble Sora, or Sachi for that matter. Diavel shouts out to the other groups.

“Fall back. I'll finish this.” As Diavel rushes in, charging up a Sword Skill, Illfang draws a long, straight black sword, prompting a gasp from Sachi.

“That's not a Talwar!” Sora reacts upon instinct as Illfang leaps into the air, moving at an astonishing speed. Sora slices his way through four Sentinels just as Illfang tries to bring its own Sword Skill down upon Diavel, who has been frozen by shock and fear. Sora shunts Diavel aside, swinging his shield to push Illfang's Nodachi away. The blade still cuts into Sora, but the deflection prevents the cut from being deep. Illfang makes a second slash that Sora stops dead with his shield, before making a swift counter-attack that pushes Illfang back.

“Squad D: Get Diavel out of harm's way. Everyone else: be on your guard and keep the Sentinels off my back! I'll buy you time to learn Illfang's patterns!” A group of five players rushes forwards to grab Diavel and drag him away, while Illfang charges towards Sora. Illfang slashes heavily, and Sora moves to parry. When their blades collide, Sora's sword is ripped from his hands, and he narrowly avoids being beheaded by the Nodachi. He smashes Illfang's jaw with his shield before retreating to retrieve his sword. As he picks it up and turns to face Illfang, he realizes that he has underestimated the boss' speed. Illfang hurtles towards Sora like a great, snarling cannonball, striking with a two-handed slash. Sora swings his shield, but the action is futile. Illfang's Nodachi smashes the shield in fragments, sending Sora flying and dropping his health to the red. Sora struggles to his feet, but Illfang is already bearing down on him. A war cry sounds, and Agil charges into view, parrying Illfang with his battleaxe. The other members of Squad A pounce on Illfang to land quick hits. Agil glances at Sora.

“We'll hold him off while you get your HP back.” He rushes off before Sora can reply, joining the fray. Sora blocks out the pain he's feeling as he drinks a potion to restore health, just as Sachi and the Black Cats arrive, along with Kirito and his companion. Sachi looks at Sora with great fear.

“Nebula!” Sora shakes his head.

“I'm alright! This is nothing I can't handle. We need to act fast though. Agil's strong, but his group can't hold Illfang for long. He's too fast and too strong to be held down by a half dozen tanks. We have to match his speed, and wear him down with Switching.” Sachi seems deeply sceptical.

“You can't seriously believe that'll work-” Sora cuts her off.

“It _will_ work. With the players that are here, this is the only strategy we have to defeat the boss. We can't back out on this. Every day we waste in this game is another day in which someone dies. We can't afford to lose anyone else. We have to beat Illfang, here and now, and prove to the other players that there _is_ still hope. I need you to help me with that, Sachi. You're the only one who can Switch with me.” Sachi looks incredulous.

“You're nuts... but you're also right. Alright, I've got your back.” Kirito speaks up.

“We'll help out too. A single Switching team is a bad idea against a boss.” Sora nods appreciatively. Keita steps forwards.

“Shouldn't we all go?” Sora shakes his head.

“Too many Switching teams against a single target, even a boss, is suicide. We'll get in each other's way, giving Illfang the chance to kill. We can't let anyone die in this fight, not even that idiot, Diavel.” Keita backs down reluctantly, while Sora drinks another potion to max out his health. Illfang roars, and knocks Squad A back with a whirling attack before leaping into the air, targetting one of the prone players. Sora and his three companions are already on the move however, and Sora jumps in first, his sword glowing gold as he slashes diagonally to parry Illfang. While Sachi jumps in to lance Illfang, Sora addresses Kirito.

“His sword's heavy, so use Slant to parry it!” Sachi retreats as Illfang begins to recover from the attacks, so Sora dashes in again, with Kirito and his companion not far behind. Illfang makes a sweeping lateral slash at Sora, whipping the blade just above the tiled floor. Sora leaps upwards, landing on the Nodachi and racing along it. He leaps off at the hilt, slicing into Illfang's right arm in passing before racing away again, heading back to Sachi. Illfang looks to pursue Sora, then notices Kirito, so targets him instead. Kirito parries Illfang's attack, but as his companion moves in for the kill, he senses something is amiss.

“Asuna!” The girl falters as Illfang recovers far faster than expected, and just barely evades being hit by the lateral slash, though the Nodachi still snags her hooded cloak. As the garment disintegrates, Kirito is momentarily stunned by the sight of Asuna's long orange-brown hair, hazel eyes, and youthful face locked in an expression of determination and mild fury. She performs a single, powerful thrust with her Rapier, twisting the blade at the moment of impact to push Illfang back. Sora charges in, seeking to take advantage of Illfang's momentary daze, but Illfang recovers too quickly. Illfang leaps upwards, and Sora does likewise. The pair slash one another heavily in passing, but neither is killed by the other's attack. Sora spins himself in the air, drawing out a small knife tucked against his spine and hurling it at Illfang, piercing the boss' right calf just as it lands, and dropping its health bar almost completely empty. Sora lands roughly but shouts to Kirito all the same.

“Finish him!” Kirito and Asuna charge in together, racing each other to reach Illfang first. The boss makes a desperate attack, trying to target both players at the same time. Asuna puts on a burst of speed to get ahead of Kirito, and repeats her Linear skill, using it to parry Illfang and set up Kirito for a finisher. He slashes hard from top-left to bottom middle, near Illfang's crotch, before pivoting on his heel and making a second rising slash up towards Illfang's other shoulder. The Vertical Arc empties Illfang's health bar, and the boss bursts into polygons. Everyone stares in a stunned silence for a moment, before many of the players begin cheering in celebration. As players hug one another, Sachi does likewise to Sora.

“That was a close one, little bro. I thought I was going to lose you. Twice I thought that. This battle was far too close for comfort.” Sora returns the embrace, speaking reassuringly.

“I can't die, Sachi. Not when you need me. Not when the others need me too. We'll get stronger, and we'll learn from this battle as well. We know now that bosses are going to be different from the beta: stronger, faster, with different skills and equipment. We know now that we shouldn't rely too heavily on the guidebook, at least until we get further into the game. We'll make it through this. Once news of our victory gets out, it'll give people hope, and courage. More players will seek to progress through the game. There will never be a boss raid lacking in players again. We'll fight with full raid parties in future, with better skills and equipment, and with more knowledge. I can't promise that future battles won't be this close though. The bosses are going to get harder and harder after all. The only thing I can promise is that as long as you support me, I'll come back alive from each and every boss battle, no matter what boss we fight against.” The pair lapse into silence for a time, until a throat is awkwardly cleared.

“I'm not interrupting anything, am I?” Sachi allows Sora to turn around, reluctantly, but refuses to end the embrace. Sora sees Kirito watching the pair with a hint of discomfort, and raises an eyebrow.

“What's the matter, Kirito? Have you never seen a girl being protective of her little brother before?” Kirito starts.

“Brother? You're siblings?” Sora nods.

“That's right. You didn't know? Most people figure it out right away. The matching birthmarks is a dead giveaway.” Kirito falters as he tries to defend himself.

“W-Well I guess when I think of it _now_ it kinda makes sense, but I thought SAO was only available for one copy per household?” Sora lets out a small sigh.

“True, but we got lucky. A guy who bought the game had a change of heart, especially since his girlfriend had been getting tired of him playing games too much. He found out that I have experience with RPGs, so he decided to give me his copy of the game. Acts of generosity like that are rare, but not unheard of. As a result, Sachi and I can play this game together. I already had a NerveGear, and Sachi got hers along with her copy of SAO.” Kirito lets out a low whistle.

“Wow, I don't really know how to react to that, if I'm honest. On the one hand, that guy dodged a bullet, avoiding being trapped in here. On the other hand, you're trapped in here instead.” Sora shrugs.

“I'm glad about that, actually. I can't begin to imagine what it must be like for the people outside the game, watching over us and worrying about us, every day fearing that we might die. They must feel so powerless to help us, knowing that there's nothing they can do, knowing that it's up to us. I'd much rather be in here than out there. At least in this world, I can do something. I'd rather die fighting than die to some illness or something. Instead of being powerless, I can actually help people in this world. I can protect people, and even save lives.” Kirito looks impressed by the boy's logic, and he isn't the only one. Diavel has come over, along with everyone else.

“You already have, Sora. You saved my life, even though I didn't deserve it after my reckless stupidity. You put your life on the line for me, when I was the one who endangered it in the first place. I don't know how I can ever repay you for that.” Sachi glares at Diavel coldly, but Sora answers instead.

“Just promise me that you'll learn from this incident. Don't let yourself get carried away just because the battle is going well. Most of all, don't try to fight a boss by yourself, no matter how low its health is. It's too dangerous to do that, when death here means death in the real world. You're a good strategist, so it would hurt all of the survivors to lose someone like you. It was never just this raid party that was counting upon you, but _all_ of the trapped players. Remember that.” Diavel nods solemnly.

“I will. I give you my word on that.” Kibaou moves forwards, looking at Sora suspiciously.

“How did you know Diavel was in danger? You knew what attack it was going to use.” Sora looks at Kibaou questioningly.

“Seriously? Are you still trying to push that beta tester theory? I _didn't_ know what skill Illfang would use. I just knew something was wrong. When Sachi said that Illfang's sword wasn't a Talwar, I knew that the guidebook had been mistaken. It only follows that Illfang's skills would be different as well then. I reacted on instinct, and used the Sword Skills I thought would be most effective. I really didn't get much of a chance to think though. In the end, it was down to instinct and reflexes, nothing more.” Kibaou looks startled.

“The guidebook was wrong? But how?” Sachi takes the question for Sora.

“The guidebook was written by the beta testers. Most of the information currently contained within it was provided by them, with more information being added as it's discovered. My guess is that the beta tester who provided the info on Illfang had assumed nothing would be changed about it. While it's true that games usually undergo changes between beta phase and final product, those changes rarely affect low-level bosses, except to fix bugs and glitches, or to decrease the difficulty. It was an honest mistake. We'll have to be careful about using the guidebooks from now until Floor 8 though. There's no telling what other changes may have been made. We can still use the guidebooks to give us a rough idea of what to expect, but don't assume that everything in the guide is completely accurate. Corrections will need to be made as we find any errors, if there are any more. From Floor 8 onwards, all information will be new, and not from the beta test, so _that_ at least should all be accurate.” Kibaou backs down again, and silence seems to fall over the group once more, until Sora looks to Kirito curiously.

“Oh right, you wanted something didn't you, Kirito?” Kirito holds out a hand to Sora, returning the boy's knife to him.

“I wanted to return this to you. A Throwing Knife... that was good thinking, especially since your Ranging ability is limited. Hitting Illfang's calf like that gave Asuna and I the opening we needed to end the fight.” Sora takes the knife gratefully and returns it to its sheath.

“It was Sachi's idea to invest in a knife. This one's nothing particularly special, just an Iron Throwing Knife +4, 2A2S. At least with Throwing Knives I don't have to think too hard about what enhancements to pursue. I _had_ hoped to kill Illfang with it though, but there must have been too much health remaining. Close though. In the end, your Vertical Arc finished the job. By the way, did you get anything special for being the one to kill Illfang?” Kirito hesitates a moment, before deciding to share the information.

“I got the Last Attack Bonus, which rewarded me with a rare item: The Coat of Midnight.” Sachi looks disappointed.

“Sounds very emo. Does it at least look cool or do anything cool?” Kirito looks at the stats briefly.

“It raises the player's Hiding skill. That could be kind of useful actually, particularly if I'm looking to avoid fights.” He equips the item, a long black coat with a high collar. Sora seems just as disappointed as his sister.

“Looks very emo. Too dark for my liking, but it seems to suit you, I guess.” Kirito seems put out by the criticisms.

“Yeesh. Tough crowd.” After some small appreciative laughter from the gathered players, Sora notes that many of them look a little restless.

“Alright guys, I can see you're all fired-up, so why don't you head on up to the next Floor? You guys can get a head start on questing and things.” One of the members of Squad D looks at Sora in surprise.

“You're not heading up there yourself?” Sora shakes his head.

“No. Not right now at any rate. I pushed myself pretty hard during that fight, got slapped around like a tennis ball, and I lost my shield too. I need time to recover from all that. Illfang's skills really shook me up, you know? So I need to take a bit of time out to steady my nerves again and clear my head. Besides; I'm hungry. I'm not about to take on a new Floor on an empty stomach. Maybe this afternoon, or else tomorrow morning. Don't worry, we'll catch up to you guys soon enough. Do me a favour though: learn from this boss battle. Use it to figure out where you need improvement. I want to see you all at the next boss raid. _If_ you can keep up with me that is. I aim to be at least ten times stronger when that fight comes around.” The Squad D member turns to face the other players.

“Three cheers for Nebula!” The gathered players follow the lead, cheering for Sora and raising their weapons in time with each shout, Sora sighs, before showing a bemused smile.

“Get a move on, idiots.” The players march on, towards the staircase at the far end of the chamber. As their excited chatter and echoing footsteps fade away, only Agil, Diavel and Kirito remain with the Moonlit Black Cats, though Asuna lurks a fair way away, watching Kirito like a hawk. Agil steps forwards.

“That reminds me, did you figure out what enhancements you want to focus on for your sword?” Sora nods confidently.

“Yeah, I've got a pretty firm idea now. Quickness and Accuracy need to be my priorities. I may need heaviness on lighter swords, to make sure that I can parry heavy weapons without having to rely on Sword Skills constantly. Durability will be handy too, maybe one or two points can go on that. Sharpness isn't really needed all that much, since I'll be Switching out after parrying. It's only if I wind up fighting alone that I may want Sharpness, but that's highly unlikely, really. In four weeks, I've only been solo for one battle, and that was when I rescued Argo. All other times I'm with at least one other person, so I can Switch in and out instead.” Agil raises an eyebrow.

“So you're going to focus on parrying? That means you'll be right at the forefront of every boss fight. Are you going to be alright with that?” Sora doesn't hesitate.

“I will. I know I will. As long as I have my guild around me, and players like you as well, I know I'll be able to pull through. My reflexes have gotten very good. Even against Illfang's surprising speed, my timing was perfect. I just need to make sure my weapons are always kept with the optimal enhancements on them. That'll get tough though. I'll need to find a highly skilled Blacksmith who knows what they're doing and won't make any errors. The less failed enhancements I run into, the better.” Agil smiles faintly, sensing the earnestness in Sora's voice.

“I'll keep my ears open for any news about such a Blacksmith. With that in mind, would you be alright if I added you to my Friend List? I'd like to be able to help you out whenever I can. I feel like I could learn from you, from _all_ of you, especially after what I witnessed today.” Kirito jumps on this chance.

“I'd like to add you as well, if you're okay with it. Players of your calibre are rare, especially given your age. I have a habit of running into lesser-known areas, so I can find out things that even most Info Brokers won't know about. If any of that can help you and your guild, then it's only right that I share it. I'd feel a lot better about going into a boss fight if I know you'll be there, with the best equipment you can get your hands on.” Diavel speaks up as well, albeit with a little hesitance.

“I know I don't have the right to ask, but I'd like to add you as well. I want to get the opportunity to repay you for saving my life today. I can't do that if I never know where to find you. I want to do everything I can to make amends for my mistakes.” The three of them send the invites at the same time, and Sora reviews them quickly.

“Agil-san... accepted. Diavel-kun... approved. Kirito-pyon... added.” Kirito recoils at this.

“Eh? Kirito-pyon? Why am I the only one to get a childish nickname?” Sora smiles mischievously.

“Because I knew you'd be the only one to give such a fun reaction.” Sachi and the others break out in fits of giggles at this, leaving Kirito to sigh dejectedly. As the players head back to Tolbana, Asuna manages to pull Kirito aside, to talk to him privately.

“During the fight... you called out my name.” Kirito glances at Asuna apologetically.

“I wasn't trying to be rude or anything. Did I mispronounce it?” Asuna shakes her head.

“I just wondered how you knew it.” Kirito holds a finger in the air, pointing at an area in front of Asuna.

“If you look around about here, you'll see another health bar beneath your own. My name is beside that. It's the same for me with your name.” Asuna looks at the point Kirito indicated, spotting the other health bar.

“Oh, I hadn't really been paying attention to that. So your name really _is_ Kirito? It was right there this whole time.” Asuna laughs softly as she realizes her own oversight, earning a look of curiosity from Kirito. After a few moments, he speaks seriously.

“You're strong, Asuna. You have the potential to go a long way by yourself. Even so, if the time comes when a guild you can trust invites you to join them, don't be afraid to accept. After all, being a solo player can only get you so far.” Asuna looks at Kirito quizzically.

“But... you're a solo player, aren't you?” Kirito navigates his menus, dissolving the party with Asuna before replying.

“That's a different matter, in a way. Fighting solo is what's best for me, with no-one else to worry about. I added Nebula because I truly believe there's something unique and special about him, something that I need to learn from even if I can't figure out what it is yet. Aside from that though, I don't really deal with people. Let alone guilds. It's just the way I am.” Asuna turns to look at Kirito, but he has vanished from sight, moving without any sound. She shakes her head with a small sigh. _I don't get that guy. Why would he go out of his way to avoid people, yet make the decision to add Nebula? It just doesn't add up._

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**December 4th 2022 – 2053 AST  
Stonecutter Inn, Urbus, Floor 2**

Sachi sits on a padded sofa, petting Sora as he lay with his head on her lap, appearing to be fast asleep. Sasamaru watches this quietly, feeling almost as though he's watching a mother and her child. _It's at moments like this when I forget that I'm inside of a game. Sachi and Sora behave much like this in the real world as well. Some people get a little uncomfortable watching those two, but those people just don't understand the circumstances behind their relationship. They literally have no other family. Their lives were shattered, pretty harshly as well, by one cruel twist of fate after another. Now that it's just the two of them, they make a point to get as close to one another as they can. They make the most of the time they have left together, now that Sora's time is limited. Their mutual protectiveness is understandable. Their possessiveness of one another has a drawback, however: it is nigh impossible to get any closer to either one of them. It seems impossible to get as close to them as they are to each other. If a person were to desire getting closer to one or the other, they would find it futile, in all likelihood. I highly doubt that either of them is aware of this, however. Their main concern is each other, and then the rest of us. It can be enviable to watch, at times_. Keita glances at the pair as well, and breaks the silence.

“He must really be worn out, though I guess that's to be expected. A tough boss fight, and then we had to walk about a kilometre to get here. Still, he's earned the rest.” A sleepy voice corrects Keita.

“Thanks, but for the record I'm still awake. My brain's too busy buzzing away to let me sleep, so I'm just resting the rest of me, even if the rest of me is just a virtual body.” Sachi looks down at Sora.

“How are you holding up? This long dive is tough on all of us I know, but since you're younger than the rest of us, it must be tougher on you, right?” Sora doesn't answer right away.

“It's difficult to say, since I can't tell how everyone else is coping. At first, it was easy for me. A fake world, a fake body, where I could be as strong as my imagination convinced me I could be. Over time though, I think that reality is starting to lose stability. I'm having difficulty telling what's real and what isn't. Even my memories... I can't tell which are real and which aren't. Not with all of them anyway. It's the same with my body. I can't convince myself that it's just ones and zeroes any more. It doesn't help that thinking of it that way is dangerous. If I disconnect from my body, it could lead to me getting killed, so I have to treat it as real even though it isn't. It gets very confusing. My mind is just overflowing with these kinds of thoughts: about what is real and what isn't, about whether my memories were just dreams or illusions, about what reality even is. It never stops, and it makes it really hard to fall asleep. I already have enough trouble with that as it is.” Sachi looks deeply concerned, as do the others. It takes time for Sachi to be able to respond.

“In all honesty, I'm not really sure what to advise. We can't afford to treat this game as a fake world. That line of thinking could get us killed. At the same time, if we believe that too much of this world is real, we could end up losing grip on reality. You may want to look for something to which you can anchor your perception of reality. One ever-present, unchanging constant that you can use to differentiate between reality and fantasy. I don't know if this helps but... wherever you are: that's reality. The things around you that you can interact with, that can be perceived using more than one of your five senses: those are real too. Illusions and hallucinations, to my knowledge, only ever play on one of your five senses. Try to bear that in mind as well then. The only other thing I can suggest it to avoid interacting with NPCs, as much as possible anyway. They may end up confusing you. Certainly, the ones you encounter for the first time may be like that. We'll always be with you as well, so we'll be able to help you out if you need us to.” Sora again takes his time before responding.

“Hm. You've given me a lot to think about. Whether any of it works, I guess only time will tell. I need to figure this out though. I need to get stronger. Much stronger. I can't...” Sora trails off as he slips into a slumber. Sachi continues to watch over him, looking deeply worried. Sasamaru speaks up, almost on a reflex.

“Don't worry. We'll all help you look after Sora. After all, he's like a little brother to all of us. This guild has become like a family, almost, and we will always look out for one another. You won't have to do this alone. It might be worthwhile for us to ease back on questing and exp grinding, and boss fights as well. At least until we know for sure that Sora is up to it. I know we all want to get out of this game, but the well-being of this group should take priority over that. After all, we're not going to be much help to anyone if we can't even look after ourselves.” Sachi looks up at Sasamaru, giving a small appreciative smile.

“Thanks, Sasaki-kun. That means a lot to me, and I think you make a good suggestion. We'll need Sora on top form if we intend to fight any more bosses. He was able to defend against Illfang and protect Diavel by himself. No other player could do that, not even Kirito. I never saw that coming. I don't know where Sora gets this strength and skill from, but he has the potential to become the strongest player in SAO. He must already be in the top ten, based on today's fight. I truly believe he'll be the one to beat the final boss on Floor 100, whatever it may be, but he's going to need all our help to achieve that. He needs our support, and our guidance. As his elders, we have a responsibility to set Sora on the correct path, and to help him find his way should he become lost. As veteran RPG players, we have a duty to teach Sora everything we know, so that he can use that knowledge to protect us more effectively. First though, we need to let him recover from today's exertions, before helping him to cope with this situation. I expect there's a great many who are going through the same things he is. As much as I'd like to help all of them, that just isn't physically possible. We'll just have to hope that there are others out there helping the people in need. I can't help but wonder what kind of people are trapped in this game with us. We've already seen Diavel, who placed Sora in mortal danger through his selfish attempt to swipe the Last Attack Bonus. What other people could there be? Some RPG players like to play the villain, stealing from other players and even killing them. Could such players be trapped inside Aincrad too? Are there bandits and Player Killers roaming around? We'll have to find out, which may mean making use of the services of an Info Broker like Argo. Protecting one another from monsters is one thing. They move by algorithms and have set attack patterns. Players don't have either of these things. They are reckless and unpredictable, and some are utterly crazy. I hope we never have to fight other players, but my instincts tell me that this may become a reality sooner than we think.”


	3. Navigating Straight Into Danger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Clearers have reached Floor 18 of Aincrad. The Moonlit Black Cats set out to explore the Floor 18 Labyrinth, intending to map it out to gather useful information prior to a Boss Raid. They are joined on the expedition by Diavel, who has grown a lot since the battle against Illfang.
> 
> During the expedition however, a decision with potentially dangerous consequences presents itself. When a tie-break situation comes up, Keita takes his neutral stance just a little too far and makes a decision that could potentially be fatal.
> 
> Meanwhile, Taro learns about Sora's condition, some details of his past, and the origins of the nicknames that Sora and his friends use.

**December 21st 2022 – 1101 JST  
Tokoruzawa Hospital**

Dr Samson and Taro Kitamura both watch over Sora with deep concern as the boy breathes hard, perspiring a lot. The monitor beside his bed shows that his heart rate is over 180 BPM, and gradually climbing. There is little that either one of them can do, though Dr Samson applies a cold compress to try and lower Sora's body temperature. Beyond that, he is powerless to help. _Another episode. I don't know what's going on, but it must be serious. Episodes like this keep happening though, and they're starting to feel more commonplace. Something big is happening within the game. It started on December 4th, around the time that the rash of player deaths massively decreased. Players are still dying however, just at a much slower rate. The first month was Hell. Two thousand players lost their lives, then Sora's first episode happened. This is the third major episode, but there have been smaller ones. I just can't figure it out. I can't figure out any kind of pattern, or any reason why some episodes are so much more severe than others. I trust that he'll return to normal soon enough, but until then I can do nothing more than stand by and wait_. After about twenty minutes or so, Sora's pulse starts to lower, his breathing becoming calmer as well. The tension in the room decreases in line with this, until Sora's heart rate and breathing return to normal rhythm. Taro leans back in his chair a little.

“Another episode, another big one at that. I still can't figure out what's causing them.” A female voice replies.

“This is just a guess, but I think he may have been fighting monsters. Sword Art Online is a fantasy VRMMORPG after all, so monsters will be abundant.” Taro and Dr Samson both turn to the doorway, where a young woman in her early twenties stands. She has long black hair tied behind her waist with silver ribbon, soft hazel eyes, and a faintly concerned expression. She wears wireframe glasses, a white cotton blouse and casual black trousers. Taro regards her with a faint smile, before anxiety buries it.

“Mikoto... you think he was facing a monster? So are these episodes moments of fear?” Dr Samson shakes his head firmly.

“I can safely rule that out. Sora's breathing was far too even and steady for fear. When people are afraid, their breathing becomes ragged and chaotic, to the point of hyperventilation. Sora was too calm for that. I think he was fighting, and very hard at that. He must be really pushing himself in there.” Mikoto nods.

“That's the theory I've come up with. These major episodes that Sora has: they're Boss fights.” Taro looks mortified by this.

“He's... he's participating in Boss fights? But that's suicide! It's so dangerous! Why would he do that? Shouldn't he be staying some place safe?” Dr Samson dismisses this sharply.

“Not a chance! Sora won't sit by and do nothing. The days of him being weak and powerless are gone. He'll never allow himself to return to that state. He's strong, far stronger than most children his age. He's resolved to protect Akatsuki as well, no matter what happens. He's not going to let a bunch of virtual monsters get in his way, even if they _can_ really kill him. He'll fight them all with everything he has. He'll be determined to be the one to clear the game. He'll devote everything he has to that end. He'll clear the game or die trying. I just hope it's the former.” Taro is not reassured to hear this.

“So he could well have many more episodes? As they get further through the game, the battles are only going to get harder. If his episodes are this severe _now_ , what will they be like near the end of the game?” Dr Samson shrugs.

“I don't know. I don't know what's going on inside the game. I don't know much about games in general really. I don't know anything at all about Sword Art Online except what I hear on the news... but I _do_ know Sora. I know how strong he is, and I know his potential. I know he won't be beaten easily. I know he won't let his condition kill him-” Taro looks at Dr Samson sharply.

“Condition? What condition?” Dr Samson curses himself internally. _Shit! I'd opted to refrain from telling this guy since he's already beating himself up over Sora as it is, so I knew he'd go overboard if he knew this too. I just had to drop the ball. Well, it's not like there was any way to avoid it_. He sighs heavily.

“Back in September, I had the very unpleasant responsibility to inform Sora, and his sister, that he had been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. ALS is a degenerative nerve disorder. Modern medicine cannot cure it, and can barely slow it down. The prognosis was that Sora's ALS would reach the terminal stage in three years time. There are cases where people live beyond their forecast limit. Perhaps the most famous of these is Professor Stephen Hawking. Even so, that's a rare thing. The prognosis is usually very accurate. Sora is not likely to live beyond September of 2025, though being trapped in SAO will not help him. ALS can be delayed, slightly, through light aerobic exercises, but Sora is unable to perform these. The transcranial magnetic stimulation device built into the NerveGear _might_ have some beneficial effects, possibly prolonging his life, but so far I'm not seeing any evidence of that. Already his muscles are beginning to atrophy. It won't be long until nerve degradation begins, with very little, if anything at all, stopping that from happening. I'm not capable of saying what exactly the impact of this SAO Crisis will have upon Sora's condition. I only know that it won't help him in the long run.” Taro looks devastated to hear this.

“No way... It's all my fault.” Mikoto snaps angrily.

“Will you stop blaming yourself?! Do you really think you're responsible for this? Just because you gave Sora your copy of the game? How do you know he wouldn't have logged in using his sister's copy instead? He'd still be trapped in the game in that case. If you want to blame someone, blame Akihiko Kayaba. That egomaniacal monster is the one to blame. You feeling sorry for yourself won't help anyone, least of all Sora.” Taro averts his eyes, looking ashamed.

“I'm sorry... you're right. Of course you are.” After several minutes of silence, Taro finally speaks again.

“So what do you think is happening now?” Dr Samson leans against the wall.

“Well, Sora seems to be calm once more, and he's alive, so I think it's safe to assume he won the fight. There'll be a celebration soon then, and not just because of the victory.” Taro frowns.

“What else is there to celebrate?” Dr Samson smiles faintly.

“Today is Sora's tenth birthday.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**February 18th 2023 – 1326 AST  
Floor 18 – Town of Arachnos**

Sora stands beneath the branches of a large, dead tree situated at the top of a small rise. From here, he can see across much of the sprawling, dreary town, its haphazardly built structures all being a grimy grey colour, made all the worse by the grey sky overhead. The town itself seems to suck out all joy in the world, replacing it with depression. As such, Sora stands out starkly against the lifeless surroundings. His outfit consists mostly of a leathery under-armour, dark forest green in colour. Affixed to this are pale gold plates that protect Sora's torso, biceps, forearms, thighs, shins and lower back, to varying degrees. Though some of these plates look quite thick, they don't appear to be heavy. A sword sits sheathed within an engraved black scabbard tied at his left hip. The cruciform hilt is a deep sapphire blue, while the egg-shaped pommel is ornately decorated with filaments of silver. A row of six long darts sit within individual pouches at Sora's right hip. A heater shield is slung behind his back, appearing to be made from a mixture of the same pale gold metal used in his armour plating, and an ivory-like material. There are numerous bronze-coloured studs scattered across the surface of the shield, which is also decorated with the motif of a large black cat prowling beneath a brilliant full moon. Two knives are just about visible beneath the shield, strapped against Sora's spine. A party of six players emerges into view, talking amongst themselves as the skirt around the edge of the mound. As they walk by, one of them notices Sora, and seems to recognise the boy's armour.

“Woah... isn't that Nebula? The Unyielding Tank? The guy who solo-killed Nerius on Floor 3? I never expected to see him hanging around here.” The other party members stop and look at Sora too. One of them, a stocky male wearing a lot of heavy plate armour, shakes his head.

“Can't be. That's just some kid. No way he could handle a Floor Boss on his own. You must be mistaken.” The player who noticed Sora; a tall, slender male with light armour and carrying a spear, doesn't seem convinced.

“I don't think I am. His armour looks right, and his gear looks way too good to be just some kid. There aren't any rookies here on Floor 18. This is the frontlines. Clearers and high-level guilds only. Anyone else would be insta-killed. That _must_ be the real Nebula. No-one would have the balls to copycat him, they'd just end up dead.” The stocky male refuses to accept that logic.

“Nonsense! Just because he's here, doesn't mean he's any good. He could be getting carried by the Divine Dragon Alliance or something. He could be some kind of Scout, never fighting in Boss Battles. There's no way a runt like that could be Nebula. I'll prove it to you.” They march confidently up the hill towards Sora, leaving the rest of his party to follow behind, somewhat nervously. Sora turns to face the group as it approaches, having been ignoring them until now.

“Is there something I can help you with?” The taller male speaks before his stocky companion can.

“We were wondering... if you were really Nebula.” Sora nods.

“That's right. I guess it's not surprising that you know who I am. I've been in every single Boss Fight since Illfang after all, and so far no-one has died under my watch, though there have been several close calls. I'm pretty used to people recognising me by now, though some still don't.” The stocky male still seems unconvinced.

“Impossible! You're just a kid. Besides, everyone knows Nebula uses a black shield.” Sora stares at the stocky male questioningly.

“I _used_ to use a black shield, but I sold it an hour ago. I got a better shield yesterday for getting the Last Attack Bonus on Skeletal Spider; this Floor's Field Boss. My new shield is lighter, stronger, and less depressing to look at. I spent a long time with a Blacksmith yesterday enhancing my shield as much as possible. I reckon it'll last me until around Floor 30, then I'll need another new one. Just because I'm young, doesn't mean I'm weak. Only an idiot would make that assumption.” The stocky male growls at the insinuation.

“If you're really Nebula, then prove it, punk. I challenge you to a duel!” Sora sighs heavily.

“If it'll get you off my back, then fine. Just don't die. I don't want you putting your own blood on my hands.” The male sets up the duel; a First Strike Mode duel, but he is so worked up that he fails to notice Sora's character name. Sora accepts the duel, before shifting his shield into his left hand. He draws his sword as well, revealing a double-edged blade seventy-five centimetres in length, and five centimetres wide at the hilt before gradually tapering to the razor sharp tip, where the blade angles in sharply for the last five centimetres. The blade has a pale blue tint to it, and the keen edge features a silvery-white temper line. The stocky male equips a hefty battleaxe, and crouches ready to strike hard and fast. Sora barely glances at his opponent's name. _Exceed? He's not a Clearer then. I know all of the Clearers, having fought beside them repeatedly. This is just some run-of-the-mill moron_. The countdown timer hits zero, and the duel begins, with Exceed charging straight for Sora. The boy looks unimpressed with the strategy, and opts to face the charge head-on, preparing a Sword Skill on the move. Exceed uses his own Skill, one that is all-too-familiar to Sora, who activates his Sword Skill. Exceed strikes hard with the Battleaxe, and yet Sora's Slant rips the weapon out of Exceed's hands effortlessly. As Exceed watches his weapon sail away, Sora slashes laterally across Exceed's waist, before spinning tightly and slashing just below Exceed's right hip. The two attacks drop Exceed's health to exactly half a bar, and thus ending the duel. Sora sheaths his sword, and slings his shield over his back once more.

“I told you I was Nebula. You can see the proof of that just by looking at the results of the duel. It tells you exactly who you were just defeated by.” As Sora turns away and starts walking back to the tree, Exceed draws a knife, snarling angrily.

“Why you-” As he takes a threatening step forwards; a spear flashes into view, the serrated blade at the head of it pressing against Exceed's throat. The coldness of the steel barely compares to the coldness of Sachi's voice.

“You lost the duel. You were defeated in a fair fight because you foolishly challenged someone infinitely more skilful than you. Show some sportsmanship, and humility. You have no right to get angry with Nebula because of your own failings. He has worked harder even than many of the Clearers to gain his current skill level. He places his life on the line in every single fight, and not just the Boss fights either. If you think I'm going to let you hurt him in a cowardly attack, you can think again.” Exceed baulks at the implied threat, the criticisms, and the sternness in Sachi's voice. Sora breaks the tension with a single remark.

“Sachi: We're in a Safe Zone. He can't hurt me outside of a duel.” Sachi doesn't back down, though she does falter momentarily.

“It's the principle of the matter. A _mature_ player would accept defeat and learn from it, rather than attempt to stab their opponent in the back.” Another male speaks up, seeming to back up Sachi more than Sora.

“It's true that Area Protection prevents our HP from dropping outside of duels, but there _are_ still Sword Skills that can have Knock-back effects even with the Protection. It's not damaging, but it's still something that would be worth avoiding. I've heard of Orange Players attempting to use such Skills to try and kill people in towns via fall damage, though without success so far. Even so, you should be more cautious, Nebula. We can't have you getting knocked about because you let your guard down.” Sora turns to face Keita, and sees the rest of the Moonlit Black Cats as well.

“I'll bear that in mind. Even so, in this instance I was safe to ease my defences. I can easily handle a Knock-back effect, and retaliate with my own Sword Skills. The outcome would be the same as that of the duel. There is a chasm of a gap between our skills, and levels too I should imagine. There's not many amongst the Clearers who would hold out against me in a duel for longer than thirty seconds. A player who has never fought a Floor Boss lacks the necessary experience to duel with me effectively.” Keita sags, and sighs wearily.

“You never make it easy for me to argue with you. I can't get around your logic, for the life of me. I'll just have to trust that you'll keep what I've said in mind. Oh, and Sachi: you can let that guy go now. I know how protective you are of Nebula, but I think it's safe to say he's not in any danger. I'd rather not risk developing any feuds with other guilds if at all possible. This game is too dangerous for that.” Sachi seems to be battling an internal feud for quite a while, before eventually pulling her spear away with abundantly clear reluctance. Exceed tuts angrily before storming off. The spear-wielding male dithers for a moment, trying to decide whether or not to pursue his companion, until Sora speaks.

“I wouldn't recommend pursuing him. Exceed may end up taking his anger out upon you. Give him some space to calm down for now, but ultimately this issue is up to him to resolve. Would I be right in thinking that this is his first defeat in a long time? Since before Sword Art Online?” The leader looks back to Sora, faintly surprised.

“Y-Yeah... that's right. I've known Exceed since childhood, and he's only ever suffered three defeats in his lifetime before today. In each previous case though, it was a much closer battle.” Sora nods.

“I had a feeling that might have been the case. That's why there's nothing that you can do for him. His victories have caused him to develop an ego. Exceed was able to get past his previous defeats, most likely by demeaning his opponents behind their backs, convincing himself that the outcome was closer to a draw than it actually was. This time however, that just isn't possible. He was utterly defeated in less than five seconds, by someone he regards as being 'just a kid,' without being able to put up any kind of a fight. His ego has been well and truly annihilated. Trying to talk to him now would only insult his ego even further, rub salt in the wound, as it were. He needs time to come to terms with his defeat, but how he does so depends upon how strongly he wants to maintain his ego. If he can come to a mature decision, then he'll come back later and apologise to the rest of you for his behaviour. If he clings to his ego though... then our problems have only just begun. People, men in particular, rarely react logically or rationally when their egos are assaulted, especially when it happens as severely as it did here. All we can do is wait, and hope.” The spear-wielder bows his head to Sora.

“I'm sorry for all the trouble that Exceed has caused you. I don't know why he refused to believe who you were, but by doing so he caused problems. I-” Sora cuts him off.

“It's not your fault. It sounds to me like this is out-of-character for him. That's the impression I get, from what you've said. If you've known him since childhood, then his behaviour should be understandable to you, and yet it isn't. That isn't something you have any control over, and Exceed isn't the only one to be affected. A lot of players have. It's the strain of being in this world for so long. The burden of it all starts to warp our psychologies, changing us on a fundamental level. I've been through that myself, but I had my guild beside me to help me through it. We all helped each other to cope. Exceed... well, his ego would never allow that, I should imagine, but the strain is getting to him and he isn't coping too well. As I say: let him calm down, _then_ talk to him. Help him get through this situation, and then the past won't repeat itself.” The spear-wielder bows gratefully.

“Thank you for the advice! I think you've got a point, several points actually. We'll head back to the inn for now, and hopefully Exceed will come around soon.” He and his guild-mates depart, leaving the Moonlit Black Cats in peace. As soon as they disappear from view, Sachi pulls Sora into a hug, earning a less-than-serious sigh. A familiar male voice breaks the silence.

“It never ceases to amaze me how someone so young can be so mature.” Sora looks to his left, and sees Diavel. The man has changed his armour since the battle against Illfang, wearing sturdy plates of indigo metal that, while being thicker than Sora's armour; appear to be just as light. A hand-and-a-half longsword hangs at his left hip, the black cruciform hilt with elegant gold filaments sitting comfortably above a fine midnight blue scabbard with gold-leaf inlays. A Buckler is slung over his back, made from the same metal as Sora's plate armour, while a pair of throwing axes hang at his right hip. Diavel seems ill at ease as Sachi bores into him, but Sora seems happy to see him.

“Diavel-kun! Long time no see! So you've made it to Floor 18 as well then? That's good to see. No use in wasting your potential after all.” Diavel does his best to try and block out Sachi's death stare.

“Yeah, I got into town around dawn. Didn't expect the place to be so dismal though, but I suppose there had to be at least one location like this. Don't tell me you guys are gearing up for a Boss Raid?” Sora shakes his head, appearing to be the only one eager to make small talk with Diavel.

“No no, not just yet. Most of the Clearers aren't ready for that, not really. Several of them lost weapons and shields in the last Raid, and there was more equipment lost during yesterday's battle against the Field Boss on this Floor, so they're looking to get replacement gear before another Raid. We _are_ headed to the Labyrinth, but we're just going there to do mapping. We're not looking to do a Boss fight, especially with the Clearers being in an unfit state. Us Black Cats are pretty much unrivalled when it comes to getting mapping data. We're one of the top five guilds at the moment, so we can bust through dungeons and Labyrinths quite easily, and we're very thorough in our exploring. It's only really the Aincrad Liberation Squad that can keep up with us for mapping, and only then because they have more people to do it. I wouldn't mind, but Kibaou runs that guild pretty roughly, encouraging some pretty questionable and unethical behaviour His priorities seem to be all messed up, and he still hasn't gotten over his grudge against betas. I can see that leading to problems down the line. Kibaou isn't cut out for the leadership role, but he's got charisma on his side, meaning that people listen to him when they really shouldn't.” Diavel vocalizes his intrigue.

“Oh? You've really been keeping up-to-date with the things going on in this world, even though you're busy working alongside the other Clearers. I may be out of line to ask this, but would it be alright if I joined you for this mapping expedition? Lately I've gotten stuck in something of a rut, and I don't seem to be developing as well as I'd hoped. Maybe if I can observe you guys, and fight alongside you, it might help me figure out how to proceed from here.” Sora appears delighted by the request.

“It's fine by me! I'd like to see how you've been getting on since Floor 1. We've only really been able to talk via the messaging system, and that's just not the same.” Keita and the other males seem to have no qualms with Diavel joining them, but Sachi remains cautious.

“I guess it's fine, but if you pull any stunts like you did with Illfang, and you'll be on the receiving end of my Crescendo Rush skill.” Diavel gulps nervously, while Sora sighs wearily.

“You worry too much. If you keep that up, you'll go grey and get wrinkles.” Sachi twists Sora's right ear, triggering a yelp of pain.

“Less cheek from you, mister. Besides, we don't age in this game. These are avatars, not our actual bodies.” Sora thinks to answer back, but decides against it. Keita comes to Sora's rescue, in a roundabout manner. 

“Then, assuming we're all ready, let's get started. We'll need to move quickly if we want to get ahead of everyone else. It won't be long before the Army moves in. They've been trying to edge us out of the mapping business after all.” Sachi releases Sora's ear, allowing the boy to take the lead. The rest of the Moonlit Black Cats fall into a formation, with Sachi backing up Sora. Keita and Ducker take the centre rear along with Sasamaru, so Diavel decides to fall in with Tetsuo, meaning to provide back-up. Sachi observes Diavel's choice of positioning curiously. _Well, that pretty much is the only place he can fit himself into. There's no need for him to back-up Sora since I'm doing that. We switch in and out perfectly, so Diavel would just ruin a good thing by trying to butt in. He wouldn't be much use at the rear either, since Ducker's already covered by Keita. True, he could swap places with Keita, but Keita doesn't use a shield, so he's not equipped to support Tetsuo. I just hope he's up to the task. Tetsuo could be in trouble if Diavel isn't up to scratch._

“Just so you know: Tetsuo has a habit of being targetted by fast-moving mobs, so watch out for that. Your Buckler's not going to be much good for tanking, so you'll need fast-activating Sword Skills.” Diavel nods.

“I've got that covered. For the record I'm not a tank. The Buckler has a very different purpose, though I hope I don't have to rely on _that_ too much. It can get a little dicey if I chain the same Skills over and over. Suffice to say I learned a couple things from Sora during the battle against Illfang.” Sachi raises an eyebrow. _He learned from Sora? And he's not tanking? That's interesting. I wonder why he has a Buckler then. Could it be for Parrying, maybe? I don't know... that doesn't sound like a good choice. The cover is atrocious. There must be more to it then. If he's really learned from Sora though, then we should be okay. I still don't trust him. Not after everything that went down with Illfang._

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**February 18th 2023 – 1408 AST  
Floor 18 – Town of Arachnos – Outskirts**

Exceed paces back and forth within a narrow and dark alleyway, fuming under his breath. After several long moments, his emotions need to be vented, and he punches a slimy stone wall, raising an Immortal Object notification.

“Damn it! What the Hell was up with that kid? No way he could beat me in a fair fight! He disarmed me with a single Slant! That's not possible! Even if that really _was_ Nebula, and even if he really _was_ a Clearer, he still shouldn't be _that_ strong. _No-one_ is that strong. I smell something fishy. The kid's gotta be some kind of cheater. To send a heavy Battleaxe flying with such a scrawny blade like that? There's no other explanation! Everyone should know that, but his damned friends showed up to protect him. Well of course they would! They've been profiting from his cheating. They're not about to turn on him. Lying bastards and thieves, the lot of them. I just don't get why Lerio and the others just sat by and let it happen. I thought we were a team. Surely they must have known something was wrong, too. Yet they didn't even say a word. We were supposed to be friends! Traitors! All of them!” Exceed punches the wall several more times, each punch becoming more vicious than the last.

“To Hell with all of them! I should kill every last one of them for what they did! It's no more than they deserve.” The rustle of cloth breaks through Exceed's rage, and draws his attention to a silhouetted figure standing not far off. This person is hidden in darkness as much as by black robes. Above their head, an orange cursor floats. The figure seems intrigued.

“Hm? Is that so? You're willing to kill to punish people for what they've done to you? I find that very interesting. If you've got the resolve, then I think I can help you out with that. What do you say? Can you really kill? Even the people who called themselves your friends?” Exceed holds his ground, feeling strangely calm given the situation.

“If they were really my friends, they would have stood up for me when I needed them to. They're not my friends, they're just people who treated me like an object, a tool. People like that don't deserve to live. Besides, there's no evidence to say that dying here means you die in the real world. Maybe once I've torn them apart, they'll realise they were in the wrong. If not, well I don't care. To Hell with them. Why should I waste my time on people like that? The world would be a better place if crappy people like that would just drop dead.” The silhouetted figure seems almost excited by the answer.

“Interesting! I like that answer. Very good, very good indeed. Well then, join with me, and I'll teach you everything you need to know to achieve your desires. There are many others, all learning the skills they need to get what they want, to get what they deserve. I'm sure they'll all welcome you as their brother.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**February 18th 2023 – 1422 AST  
Floor 18 Labyrinth**

Sora shudders as a metre-tall spider folds its legs into itself, moments before bursting into polygons. Two more spiders roughly the same size leap towards him in unison. He smashes one aside with his shield while slashing deeply into the other one. The first of these two spiders crashes down between Sachi and Sasamaru, who lance it twice each in order to kill it, while the second spider can barely turn around before Sora rips it apart with a vicious Sharp Nail. He takes the chance to look about, seeing how his companions are faring. Ducker and Keita seem to be doing well against a large, hairy spider that, despite being twice the size of the other spiders, is still just as fast. Meanwhile Tetsuo beats down two smaller spiders in the same swing. As a third spider falls from the roof of the tunnel, trying to drop onto Tetsuo; it is struck by a Buckler that had been hurtling through the air like a frisbee. The spider is knocked clear of Tetsuo, who jumps back at the sight of it, while the Buckler races back to Diavel, who catches it deftly. As the wounded spider tries to find its footing, it gets blasted away and killed by Diavel's Vorpal Strike. A shrill chattering sound echoes through the tunnels, and a two-metre tall spider with a vivid green abdomen comes racing out of nowhere, charging straight for Sachi and Sasamaru. It bulldozes right through Keita and Ducker, inflicting minor damage in passing. Sachi pushes Sasamaru aside on a reflex, leaving herself poorly positioned to protect herself, but she doesn't need to. Sora appears in between the two, striking from low down with his shield glowing silver. As the Shield Flip sends this new spider flying, it spits a glob of neon green fluid at Sora, who is unable to dodge it. The damage is negligible, but a poison icon appears next to his health bar, which continues to empty gradually. Sora chases the spider, preparing a Sword Skill as his target flips itself over. The spider rears its head back to spit at Sora again, but the boy is one step ahead, and jumps aside before kicking himself into the air from a stalagmite. Sora executes his Sword Skill as he falls towards the spider, slashing diagonally from the top right of the spider's head to the bottom left. He spins tightly, making a vicious horizontal slash from right to left, before spinning again to put himself in a good position to thrust powerfully into the spider's mouth, launching it into the air once more. The move leaves Sora vulnerable however. A pair of small, hairy spiders drop down from the ceiling, flinging hairs at him like darts. Very little damage is dealt, but a paralysis icon appears, and Sora is frozen in place. Both Sachi and Diavel realise Sora's predicament and rush to his aid. Diavel is just a little faster, and ends up in front of Sachi, who tuts angrily. Sachi kicks Diavel in the back of the knee, causing him to drop down suddenly. She then uses him as a footstool, leaping up from his back and hurling her spear at the green spider while in the air. The spear punches through the centre of the spider, pinning it in place as Sachi lands beside Sora, a green crystal in her hand. She presses this crystal against Sora, ignoring the two hairy spiders that rip hairs from themselves.

“Cure!” Sora bursts into action the instant his status effects are removed, protecting both himself and Sachi from being stunned by more hairs. He relinquishes his sword so that he can draw a pair of throwing darts, which he hurls at the hairy spiders, killing them both outright. The green spider struggles enough to free Sachi's spear from the ground, though it still remains inside the spider, which now charges forwards once more. Sora rushes to intercept, drawing his sword back and to the right, the blade glowing cerulean. The boy strikes hard with a powerful slash from right to left, before a slash from left to right spins him around, bringing the sword to his left flank. A second slash from right to left brings the spider to the ground, clinging to life, before a final slash from left to right empties its health bar. A glowing square of light pulses outwards at the completion of the Horizontal Square, as the spider bursts into shards. Sora takes a few breaths to try and steady himself, before returning Sachi's spear to her. Diavel catches up, and growls angrily.

“What the Hell was that for?” Sachi glares at Diavel with tangible hostility.

“You got in my way, so you left me with no choice. You wouldn't have been able to protect Nebula, even with your Thrown Shield skill. If you hadn't interfered I could have thrown the spear from ground-level, and killed that spider outright. As I said, you got in my way.” Diavel holds his ground, but Sora prevents him from retorting.

“There's no use in trying to argue with her. On a matter like this, she'll refuse to back down. I guess I should have mentioned that Sachi won't let anyone else protect or even support me. That can be a little inconvenient, if I'm honest, since it places her in great danger. I then have to throw myself into that very danger in order to get her out of it. The advantage of this arrangement is that our Switching is unrivalled, and I've witnessed enough duos to know that my assertion is accurate. I know you were only doing what was right, and trying to help out, but for this situation it'll be best to drop it. You'll face less hostility from Sachi, for starters, and you'll be less likely to suffer a headache. Don't worry about me. I'm in good, albeit possessive hands.” Diavel backs down reluctantly.

“If that's the way you want it to be, then I guess I'll trust your judgement. Still, it's not easy overriding the instinct to protect a comrade.” Sora nods.

“That's very true. At least, I assume it is. I've never actually tried. Even when people I don't know are in trouble, I still won't hesitate to protect them, to place my life on the line for them. That's just the way I am, I guess.” Keita and the others join the trio before Diavel can make any response. Keita takes a moment to catch his breath, wiping at his brow.

“Whew! That was a pretty dicey battle. Is everyone okay?” Sora salutes energetically.

“All green! Still, these spiders don't mess around. The Giant Spiders and Dread Tarantula are one thing, but that Viper Spider and the pair of Darter Spiders... I could do without fighting them again. I'm sure we will though. I'm sure there'll be worse spiders still to come.” Tetsuo shudders.

“Great... more spiders.” Diavel glances at Tetsuo.

“Would you like to switch places with me then? I might not be a tank, but I've been playing solo since Illfang, so I can handle being up front. That said, I don't know if Nebula will give me much of a chance to fight the enemies. I'll struggle just to pick up any scraps.” Keita looks mildly surprised by the suggestion.

“You really want to go on the frontlines? Even _with_ Nebula up there too, things will be very rough at times. He's a first-rate aggro-magnet. If you're not careful, you'll be swept up in a tide of monsters.” Diavel exudes confidence, but without any hint of arrogance.

“It's not like I haven't been swarmed before. Maybe it hasn't happened on the frontlines of game progression, but the principle of the situation is still essentially the same. I'm able to keep my wits about me, and I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. I won't get in over my head, you have my word on that.” Keita has no further questions or arguments.

“If it's alright with you, then it's alright with me too. I just needed to make sure, that's all. You can never be too careful, especially when you're part of the Clearers. In that case...-” Keita trails off as he notices that Sora looks troubled. Sachi picks up on this too.

“What's wrong?” Sora only looks straight ahead.

“This is the tunnel we came up from, isn't it? And we've only been travelling in a straight line the entire time?” Sachi nods, but she doesn't quite understand Sora's questions.

“That's right... why?” Sora points straight ahead, at the source of his anxiety.

“Then where did that corner come from?” Everyone looks straight ahead. Sure enough, the tunnel up ahead isn't straight, but has a corner that is almost a perfect right angle. Sasamaru offers the first theory.

“Could it be some form of illusion? A trick to try and confuse adventurers?” Keita shakes his head.

“Not likely. Don't forget, this game essentially has no magic. Even the monsters lack it, technically speaking. They have elemental attacks that _seem_ magical in nature, but that's about all. Really, the closest there is to magic in this game is the crystals and the Teleport gates.” Sasamaru frowns, trying to come up with another theory. Sora speaks up, his voice rife with concern.

“We've got a serious problem on our hands. If I'm reading the map correctly, it's not just this tunnel that has changed. The whole labyrinth has moved around. Rooms that we've explored have become surrounded by blank regions. The entrance itself is now on the opposite side of the labyrinth to us.” The group crowds around Sora, looking at the map before him, where they see a few highlighted chambers and tunnels dotted around randomly, surrounded by nothingness. Ducker tries to remain calm.

“S-So where do we go from here?” Sora shakes his head.

“I don't know. I'm not even sure if it matters. This amount of movement... we should have noticed if the labyrinth moved _that_ much all at once. It must have been moving by small amounts at set intervals, preventing us from noticing until just now. I can't tell how large the movements are though, or what the frequency of movement is. Whether we go backwards or forwards... in the end it won't make a whole lot of difference if the labyrinth shifts again.” As anxiety seems to seep through everyone like some kind of toxic cloud, Sachi speaks up confidently, taking charge of the situation.

“This isn't as big a problem as it sounds. All we have to do is avoid getting separated, and we should pull through. Stick as close together as possible at all times. If anyone should happen to get separated, we should all hold position. Don't wander off, or you'll get lost. You don't want to stumble upon the Boss Room when you're all by yourself. Stay where you are, and keep an eye on the map. As soon as a path opens up, we'll rendezvous and continue onwards together. As long as we stay together, we'll pull through this. We always do.” Keita nods, Sachi's confidence bolstering his own and pushing him to take charge once more.

“Sachi's right. This is only a hiccup, in the grand scheme of things. We may have to revisit a few areas as we progress, but that shouldn't be a bad thing. We'll proceed straight ahead, and see what lies around the corner. Whatever lay ahead: we can handle it. Together.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**February 18th 2023 – 1500 JST  
Tokoruzawa Hospital**

Dr Samson, Taro, and Mikoto all sit around a table not far from Sora's bed, a cup of green tea resting before each of them. Taro glances at Sora briefly.

“He's calmed down again... I wonder if he's exploring a dungeon or something.” Mikoto fiddles with a silver bracelet around her left wrist as she answers.

“That's quite likely, actually. Given the pattern of increased heart rate and calmer moments, it's likely that he's exploring, getting into occasional encounters here and there. Though even when he seems to be in battle, he's a lot calmer than I would expect. I wonder if he's become a strong player then? Or maybe it's just because he's in a good guild, one that he trusts implicitly, so he can remain calm even under duress.” Dr Samson nods.

“I'd say the latter is quite likely, though I reckon the former could also be true. Sora's probably joined a guild with his sister's friends. They'd already been playing RPGs for a few years before Sora joined them, so they have a lot of experience, and they've built a rapport. Sora has managed to fit in well with them, with a little help from Akatsuki. As long as they're working together, they should be fine all in all. They are probably more capable of surviving than many of the other players, who are new to RPGs, let alone to Full-Dive technology.” Taro turns to face Dr Samson.

“Would it be alright for me to learn more about Sora, and his sister? Even though I come by here every day, I've always been too pre-occupied to inquire.” Dr Samson takes a sip of tea.

“Hm... where do I begin? His full name is Sora Seiun, though 'Sora' isn't written with the character for 'sky' but instead with the characters for 'celestial'. Only the pronunciation has been copied over. Sora and Akatsuki were born into a family of space enthusiasts, I guess you could say. Akatsuki is written as 'red moon' rather than 'dawn', as another example. Their mother was an astronomer, named Hoshi, and their father was a former astronaut named Ryūsei. Sora also had a twin brother, named Hayabusa, after the spacecraft rather than the animal. As I said, space enthusiasts. Unfortunately, the family was set to be torn apart by misfortune. First, Hoshi passed away. She'd been diagnosed with Breast Cancer whilst pregnant with Sora and Hayabusa, but she chose not to undergo chemotherapy, as that would have killed her children. She fought for twenty months after they were born, before losing the fight. Tragedy struck again in 2020 during the Olympics, in a very big way. Ryūsei was killed in a botched mugging attempt, leaving the children as orphans and in a state of despair. That despair was too great for Hayabusa, who took his own life three days later. Akatsuki took it upon herself to do everything she could for Sora, to hold onto him: her last remaining relative. She neglected her own health and her studies for his sake, eventually succeeding in drawing him out of despair. The two lived very happily together after that, growing closer every day. When it came to diagnosing Sora with ALS, it was Akatsuki's turn to fall into despair, and Sora's turn to bring her out of it. Given how young Sora is, he can be remarkably mature at times. The tragedies that he suffered forced him to grow up faster than most kids, though he can still act childish when the mood suits him. He did so much to help Akatsuki, though I know he wishes he could do more. I believe he's trying to do exactly that in Sword Art Online. The morning before he went in, he told me that he was going to do everything he can to protect and support his sister, no matter what. She, of course, will be doing everything in her power to protect and support him. Such is the nature of their relationship.” Taro looks devastated by the revelations about Sora's family, but Mikoto speaks instead.

“They've been through an awful lot, those two. More than most their age, and yet it sounds as though they've come out of it quite strongly. They have each other, and seem to draw strength from one another. As long as they have each other, they'll make it out of the game, that's what I believe.” Dr Samson nods.

“I believe that too. The strength of their relationship has reached the point where both will refuse to die as long as the other needs them. They'll defy death, endlessly at that, in order to help one another. They may well do the same for the others of their guild, too. That group has started to become something like a family to the pair, though still a little distant at the moment. I know one or two want to get closer to Sora and Akatsuki, but those two are exceptionally protective and possessive of one another, so an outsider faces one Hell of a daunting task trying to get close.” Mikoto continues the conversation, trying to steer it in a lighter direction.

“How many are in this group then? Where did they meet exactly?” Dr Samson thinks back.

“There's four others, all males, all attend the same school as Akatsuki. She used to be in a Naginatajutsu club, before joining the Computer Club, where she met the others. Lets see now, as I recall, the leader of the group is a boy called Keisuke Takahashi. He's the Club President. Pretty good with logic puzzles, I believe, and was elected as the leader of their RPG sessions as well. Then there's Tetsuhiro Kawakami, Sasaki Maruyama, and Yoshio Tachibana. I've met Yoshio personally, and would definitely classify him as the clown of the group. He always seems to be playing pranks. They all have nicknames for one another, which I believe they also use in their games. Keisuke is usually called Keita, though I believe he sometimes goes by Takeke as well. Tetsuhiro opted to shorten his name to Tetsuo, while Sasaki goes by Sasamaru. The most unusual would be Yoshio, who always goes by the name of Ducker. Not sure how he came up with that myself. Sora usually goes by Nebula, the English translation of his surname. That being said, Akatsuki has her own nickname for him: Saki, written as 'Imp'. Appropriate, given his mischievous sense of humour. Akatsuki can be equally guilty of that however, hence why Sora tends to call her 'Sachi'. She's the only one who uses her nickname more than her real one. Not surprising, since it's the name Sora gave her. She feels as though using that name strengthens her bond with Sora, bringing her closer to him.” Taro seems intrigued by this, his curiosity suppressing his sadness and anxiety.

“Huh, I never knew so many people derived aliases from their actual names. I knew some people did it, like myself, I just didn't think there were this many. With the exception of Yoshio and Akatsuki, it seems like all of the group derives their aliases from their real names.” Dr Samson looks at Taro curiously.

“You do it as well? What alias do you use, then?” Taro doesn't think about the answer.

“It's something I only use in games, and it's just splicing my name, but the alias I always use is 'Kitaro'.” 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**February 18th 2023 – 1618 AST  
Floor 18 Labyrinth**

Sora clings onto his sword for dear life as the world blurs chaotically around him. The blade of the sword is buried deep into the back of a four-metre tall spider, thick with coarse black hair. The spider writhes around randomly as it tries to shake Sora off of itself, its unpredictable movements keeping the others from getting close enough to try hitting it. Sora is barely able to see Sachi as the spider hurtles towards her, backed into a corner. He pushes down on his sword, driving the blade in all the way to the hilt, and leans hard to the right in an effort to steer the spider. At the last moment, the spider veers to the right with a howl. Sachi seizes the opportunity, severing part of the back left leg at the lowest joint. She and Sora shout the same order to the others.

“Aim for the legs!” Keita and Diavel jump into action, each slicing through a leg, while Sachi amputates one more as well, bringing the gigantic spider to the ground. The impact throws Sora forwards, over the spider's head, leaving his sword behind. The spider lunges for Sora, but the boy is much faster, slamming the spider's head to the left with his shield, before spinning around and smashing the head to the right. As Sora makes a third attack with his shield, the spider bites down upon it, forcing Sora to slip his left arm out of the straps before the spider can try to twist and break his arm. He draws both daggers from behind his back, holding the blades inverted, before slashing diagonally from top right to bottom left with his right-hand dagger, and top left to bottom right with his left-hand dagger. He takes a step forward before flipping his wrists, and stabbing the spider in both sides of the head. With considerable difficulty, Sora drags the daggers towards each other, carving the spider's head open. As the daggers break free from the spider, it bursts into polygons, and Sora's sword stabs into the ground. Sora sheaths his daggers, before retrieving his sword and shield. Once he puts those away, the exhaustion hits him, dropping him to one knee.

“Sora!” Sachi rushes over to her brother, holding onto him tightly.

“Are you okay?” Sora nods a little weakly.

“I will be in a little bit, just dizzy more than anything else. That spider spun me around all over the place. Now I know what riding a mechanical bull must be like. I'm not as shaken up as I was after Illfang, or Nerius for that matter. Besides, this was self-inflicted. Jumping on that thing's back seemed like a good idea at the time. In hindsight, it was just plain stupid. Then again, we'd probably still be in combat if I hadn't done that. The pros and cons seem balanced, best I can tell.” Sachi still looks deeply concerned.

“Do you want to call it a day? It _is_ getting kind of late after all, and we've been stuck in these caves for hours.” Sora shakes his head firmly.

“I'm not ready to give up just yet. We've put in a lot of work with mapping this labyrinth. The way I see it, there's only four rooms left, including the Boss Room. We also know that the labyrinth moves about every ten minutes, like clockwork. So far, there aren't any others mapping this place, but there soon could be. If the Aincrad Liberation Squad realizes we're here, they'll try cutting our earnings by selling some of the mapping data before we can. If we can finish mapping first though, we get all the money and all the credit, and the Clearers can begin planning for the Boss Raid. Besides, the thought of going back to that dingy town is not filling me with a lot of enthusiasm. These caves feel warmer than that slimy dump. Let's finish our job here, _then_ we can go back. Argo will pay us extra for a full dungeon map after all. If we ever want to set up a proper base for our guild, we're going to need a lot of money.” Sachi sighs in resignation.

“Alright, if you insist. I _am_ feeling pretty reluctant to go back to the inn as well, I guess, but you take priority over that.” Sora stands confidently.

“I'm fine, really. A little drink of water to revitalise me, and I'll be right back to combat readiness.” Sachi stands as well, while Sora drinks from a bottle. Footsteps approach, and a nervous voice speaks.

“Um... is Nebula okay?” Sachi snarls angrily as she turns to face Tetsuo, Sasamaru and Ducker.

“Oh he's fine, no thanks to you three! We could have done with your help in that battle, but what did you do? Just stood there. You _do_ realise that this labyrinth is nothing but one giant spider nest, right? All we've fought is spiders, that means the boss will be one too. If you can't do anything about your fears, you're not going to be any use to us in the Boss Raid. Nebula could have died, while you three just stood about, trembling in your boots! I-” Sora cuts her off sharply.

“That's enough, Akatsuki! Getting angry with them won't solve anything. These are our friends, don't forget that. Besides, this is hypocrisy. I fought Nerius all by myself. A Floor Boss. I was the only one. No-one else did damage to it, not even you. It was just me, by myself. You can't have a go at people for not helping me when you're guilty of that too. I never said anything about it until now though, because it's wrong of you to behave this way. You're expecting too much of everyone. We all have our fears, and a fear of spiders is one of the most common. This was the largest spider so far as well. You can't expect Tetsuo to snap his fingers and bury his emotions. Sasamaru's spear isn't designed for slicing, and stabbing a moving target isn't easy. Ducker is a Rogue-type player, he's best at exploiting vulnerabilities and disabling traps. Using daggers against a giant spider isn't just stupid, it's dangerous. The ones who were best suited for fighting that spider, did so. We're a team, Sachi. A team works together, covering each other's weaknesses. We did that, so please: stop being angry with our friends. That'll only hurt us all.” Sachi averts her gaze, looking ashamed and guilty.

“I'm sorry.” Sora flicks Sachi's forehead.

“Dummy, you should be apologising to _them_ , not to _me_.” Sachi turns to face the other three.

“I'm sorry, you guys. I had no right to get angry with you. Sora's right, we need to cover each others weaknesses, and help each other out.” Sasamaru steps forwards, electing himself to speak for the other two as well.

“We're sorry too. We should have at least _tried_ to help out. We need to pull our weight, and help this team out in any situation. We'll work hard to make sure this never happens again. Promise.” As the tension in the air fades away, Keita comes over somewhat cautiously.

“So... where do we go from here?” Sora examines his map carefully.

“Straight on. There's an uncharted chamber up ahead. It might be where this spider came from, so there's a chance there might be a treasure chest or something around there. Going back won't help us, unless the labyrinth moves twice as much as it normally does.” Keita nods.

“Straight on it is then. Shall we?” Sora draws his sword, but holds his shield slackly. He moves to the front of the group, taking the lead once more. The rest of the Black Cats, and Diavel as well, return to their formation. They progress through the tunnels without incident, and before long they come to a chamber. There is no treasure to be seen, but instead there are five other tunnels, spread out fairly evenly. The Black Cats look around, feeling cautious. Ducker is the first to speak.

“Okay, now where do we go? Surely these tunnels can't _all_ be unexplored?” Sora points to a tunnel off to the upper left.

“That one leads to a chamber we've already cleared. The tunnel opposite to it goes back towards the entrance, kind of, via explored chambers. That just leaves the tunnel straight ahead of us, the tunnel to the right of that, and the tunnel left of where we came in. All of these three lead to unexplored areas, for now anyway, but in about three minutes the labyrinth will change. I can't predict the outcome of the change, but I've been watching these chambers since we got here, and it seems like they're only accessible once every hour. Whichever route we choose, we won't be able to come back from it for an hour.” Sachi turns to Sora for more answers.

“Which way do you think we should go?” Sora ponders this carefully.

“My instincts tell me that dead ahead or back left will be the Boss Room. While we _do_ want to find that just to know where it is, ultimately that won't matter since this labyrinth is ever-changing. It really won't help us to know. Top right is probably the safest place then. I think that'll bring us close to the entrance before the other two routes will. We can't explore all three routes, not without risking getting undercut by the Aincrad Liberation Squad.” Sachi nods.

“I see. Then I vote we go top right as well.” Ducker seems unconvinced.

“I'm not so sure about that. I think top right could be the Boss Room. If that really brings us out closest to the entrance first, it would make sense for that to be the Boss Room, to give us a chance to back out if we think we're not ready. So in that case, the opposite direction would be the safest bet.” Sasamaru and Tetsuo both seem to agree with this, but Diavel disagrees.

“That logic doesn't make a whole lot of sense. The Boss Room would most likely be located in the chamber that moves to the entrance _last_ , not first. _This chamber_ is where a Raid group should back out of a Boss Raid, when the path to the entrance is clear as day. Don't forget, this is a labyrinth, not a standard dungeon. There's a Floor Boss in here. That means that the entrance to Floor 19 is in the Boss Room. There'd be no need for that chamber to return to the entrance any time soon, since a Raid group would be able to reach the next Teleport Gate. Therefore back left is the Boss Room, and top right is where we should go.” Everyone turns to Keita, who seems pensive.

“Interesting. We have a tie. Three votes for top right, and three for back left. The tie-breaking vote falls to me then. Well, that makes the answer obvious, doesn't it? We should go straight on.” Sora flinches. _Wait, what? That's not a tie-break, that's_ running away _from a tie-break. Keita's trying to avoid picking one side over the other by picking the convenient third option, but I've got a very bad feeling about this. I never said the Boss Room was definitely back left. I only said that top right was the safest route. Why would he choose one of the two locations I advised against? Is he really just afraid of hurting feelings by taking sides? This will not end well._ Since no-one voices any objections, Keita leads the way down the tunnel that he alone chose, causing everyone else to fall into step behind him. Diavel sidles up to Sora and Sachi, speaking in a low voice.

“Is this normal for him? Avoiding picking sides?” Sachi nods, and answers quietly.

“Keita hates arguments, so if he _can_ avoid taking sides, he will. While leaders _are_ supposed to be impartial, they're also supposed to make decisions based upon evidence, choosing one side or the other based upon the strength and validity of the arguments. Keita's taking his impartial stance a little too far here.” Diavel looks faintly worried.

“So how bad is this situation?” Sora takes the question.

“Very, or at least it could be. We don't have long left before the labyrinth changes again. We'll be at the next chamber for only a few seconds before it moves away, becoming a dead end. There's something nagging the back of my mind, but I can't quite put my finger on it just yet. Be ready for anything, that's all my instincts are telling me.” Diavel gulps nervously.

“Should we ready Teleport crystals?” Sachi shakes her head sadly.

“We don't have enough. We've only managed to get our hands on three so far. All the markets keep selling out of them, so we've been getting ours from monster drops and treasure chests. Only Keita, Nebula and Sasamaru have one. Unless you happen to be carrying three spares, we'd be leaving people behind.” Diavel shakes his head.

“I wish I was, but I'm down to my last one. The drawback to being a solo player is that Teleport crystals tend to get used up quite fast. Not that I've been able to get very many myself. It seems like most of them are being bought up by the Aincrad Liberation Squad. They send Raid-size groups to explore dungeons, and never walk out but Teleport instead. That's why the markets are always out of stock.” Whatever response Sachi had planned to give, she is unable to give it as the group emerges into an expansive chamber with a ceiling so high it cannot be seen. About two seconds after the group leaves the tunnel, it sweeps off into the distance, being replaced by solid rock. Sora looks around with a growing sense of dread, and then the realisation hits him.

“Oh no! _Now_ I know why I was worried about this. We've always assumed that a Boss Room would have a clear door leading into it, we never considered the possibility of finding a Room _without_ that kind of entrance. This isn't any ordinary chamber. This _is_ the Boss Room.” Everyone faces Sora with expressions of shock and horror. Keita struggles to find his voice.

“Th-That can't be possible! A B-Boss Room without a gateway? Y-You must be mistaken!” Sora points upwards, towards the ceiling.

“Try telling her that, then.” The group follows Sora's indication, and freeze in terror at the sight of the monstrosity that descends from the shadows above. It measures about six metres in height. Roughly half of the body is that of a spider, with six relatively slender legs, and a red-and-black-striped abdomen. The remaining half is somewhat Humanoid, with scaly skin that is a dark yellowish colour. The Humanoid head has eight pure black eyes, and long black hair-like appendages. The creature's breasts suggest that it is a female, though it is difficult to be entirely certain. They have strong Humanoid arms, and wield a pair of Kama sickles that are chained together. The creature descends upon a thick rope of spider silk, before dropping soundlessly to the ground. Four health bars appear, along with the Boss' name: Jorōgumo. The group looks to Keita to lead them, but he seems to be completely paralyzed by terror. Sora takes the initiative instead, marching to the frontline.

“Defensive positions! Three teams of two, cautious Switches. Diavel; you're with Tetsuo. Sasamaru; cover Ducker. Sachi: slap that idiot to his senses and watch his back. Leave the tanking to me. I'll buy you time to learn this over-sized flea's attack patterns. Don't take any chances, we can't afford it!” No-one has any chance to say anything as Sora rushes Jorōgumo, who in turn targets him. She throws one of the Kama, seeking to loop it around his left leg, but Sora counters it with a somewhat awkward Horizontal. As soon as his post-motion cool-down wears off, Sora presses the opening with a Vorpal Strike at close range. He shields against five consecutive vicious slashes before using Slant to parry the sixth attack, striking back with a diagonal slash roughly around the groin region. Diavel, Tetsuo, Sasamaru and Ducker all shake off their fear and shock, jumping into battle, leaving Sachi to deal with Keita. She grabs his shoulders and shouts at him.

“Keita! What the Hell do you think you're doing? This is no time for standing around like an idiot!” Keita is barely able to talk.

“B-But... we can't. W-We can't fight that... w-we need m-more players. W-We need to get out of here!” Sachi slaps Keita, leaving a perfect hand-shaped mark on his face.

“For God's sake! Act like you have testicles for once in your life! We _can't_ get out of here. The tunnel is gone, it won't come back for an hour. We either fight, or we die. I refuse to die, not when Sora needs me. Now he needs me more than ever. He needs _us_ more than ever. We _can_ win this! Sora killed Nerius all by himself! No-one in the game can claim to have solo-killed a Floor Boss besides Sora. We can win this with just the players we have here, but we need your help to do that. Sora needs you to help him. He needs us all to help him, otherwise he'll die. If you think for a second that I will stand by and let you be the cause of his death, think again! So dig deep, find yourself a pair of balls, and help us kill this thing, or I swear to God I will kill you myself!” Keita baulks in the face of Sachi's withering gaze, and comes to realise that he's more afraid of her than of Jorōgumo. He steels his nerves and charges towards the battle, Sachi hot on his heels. The pair arrive just as Sora parries another attack, leaving Jorōgumo temporarily vulnerable. Keita slashes at her rear right leg while Tetsuo smashes her front left leg at the lowest joint with his war-hammer. The combination of attacks causes Jorōgumo to drop lower to the ground, allowing Sasamaru to stab her in the navel. Jorōgumo wraps a Kama around Sasamaru's spear and wrenches hard, but Sasamaru digs his heels in and holds on tightly. Sora races up Jorōgumo's front right leg, leaping from it at the topmost joint, and smashes her in the face with his shield in passing. The impact distracts Jorōgumo, as Ducker sprints along her bulbous abdomen, preparing a Sword Skill on the move. He performs two extremely high-speed diagonal slashes that cross over at her lower back, before leaping straight up, slashing vertically as he does so. At the apex of his jump, Ducker spins around, slashing horizontally in the process, before performing the final strike of his Sword Skill: A rapid mid-air dash that allows him to slash at the left side of Jorōgumo's throat in passing. This Sword Skill, along with a hatchet that Diavel throws at Jorōgumo's left shoulder, allows Sasamaru the chance to free his spear and retreat a short distance, just as Ducker lands lightly beside him. Jorōgumo tries to attack the pair, but Sora intercepts her, throwing his sword high into the air and allowing him to throw all six of his darts in quick succession, dealing minor damage with each impact. She targets him instead, apparently forgetting about the other players. Diavel and Tetsuo both attack one of Jorōgumo's left legs each, while Sachi and Keita each take one of her right legs. Jorōgumo howls in pain as her abdomen drops low enough to scrape across the ground. Sora catches his sword, before slashing twice at the Kama. He misses the weapons themselves, hitting the chain instead. Jorōgumo regains her footing with an enraged roar, and wrenches her Kama in opposite directions, shattering the chain. She strikes at Sora with both sickles, moving too quickly for him to activate Slant, so he raises his shield instead. The Kama pierce into the shield, though not deeply enough to hurt Sora. Jorōgumo rips the shield into pieces, destroying it entirely. She slashes at the boy again and again, but he is always able to avoid or deflect her, albeit just barely. It takes a moment for Sora to see that Jorōgumo has dropped below half health.

“Fall back a moment and keep your guard up! Wait for this rampage to pass before you jump in again. Attack too soon and she might kill you!” Jorōgumo spits a glob of spider silk at Sora, slamming his left shoulder like a dodgeball and knocking him to the ground. As Jorōgumo advances upon Sora, Sachi strikes from behind, the blade of her spear glowing crimson. She twirls the spear in her hands with blinding speed, performing six vicious slashes that alternate between bottom left to top right, and bottom right to top left, with each alternation being a higher angle than the last. She finishes the Skill with a devastating horizontal slash from left to right, and an explosion of sound erupts from the spear. Jorōgumo turns on Sachi with an expression of pure fury, and rears her head back. She doesn't register the blur of movement as she spits another glob of silk, which Sora slashes using the Slant skill. The web shot is reflected back at Jorōgumo, hitting her to do minor damage. Jorōgumo spits again and again and again, trying to tire out Sora and immobilise him, but the boy keeps deflecting her attacks. A total of fifteen consecutive web shots are deflected before Jorōgumo howls in frustration and slashes at Sora instead. Sora spins around the attack before slashing back, slicing Jorōgumo's left hand off completely. The boss strikes furiously with her right-hand Kama, roaring with rage, yet Sora remains calm and parries the attack with a perfectly timed Slant. The Kama is sent flying, and Sora leaps into the air, seemingly pursuing the weapon. He holds his sword with the hilt over his right shoulder blade, and the sword begins to glow with a pale blue-green light. As Sora draws level with Jorōgumo's face, he executes a powerful downward vertical slash, before foot-stooling from the top of her head. The force of the Sonic Leap sends Jorōgumo crashing to the ground, while Sora reaches out and grabs the Kama in mid-air. Jorōgumo struggles to stand, but can't seem to stay upright for more than half a second. As Sora lands lightly just ahead of her, he spins around, and hurls the Kama. The sickle pierces deep into Jorōgumo's right eye, dealing a critical hit that kills her. Sora has to stab his sword into the ground to stop himself from keeling over, as Jorōgumo explodes into shards. Sachi grabs onto Sora, and helps him to sit down without falling down.

“It's alright, I've got you. You're going to be okay.” Sora nods weakly as exhaustion gets the best of him, so he focuses on breathing instead, trying to calm his nerves after the battle. Keita and the others join the pair, looking at Sora with a mixture of awe and concern. Sasamaru crouches beside Sora.

“How are you feeling, little man?” Sora manages a small smile.

“Worn out, but otherwise fine. I'll sleep well tonight, that's for sure. I'm gutted I lost my shield though. Haven't even had it a day and already it's been destroyed. I'll need to find a much better one then, one with insane durability.” Sasamaru smiles appreciatively at this. Diavel addresses the group with incredulity.

“It's no wonder you guys are on the frontlines. You've all become so much stronger than I anticipated, or even dared to dream you were. I never expected anyone to possess mid-level skills, or skills that had combos exceeding four hits, and yet I've seen such skills from three of you. A five-hit combo from both Sora and Ducker, and a seven-hit combo from Sachi. Such a small guild, and yet you possess more skill and strength even than the Divine Dragons Alliance. It's almost overwhelming.” Sora turns to Ducker.

“That's a point: what skill was that you used? I've never seen you use a skill with more than two hits to the combo before.” Ducker puffs his chest out proudly.

“It's a beauty isn't it? It's called Lacerating Flash. I only unlocked it yesterday, but I love it already. It's a little exhausting to use since it's so fast, but it's a worthwhile skill since it allows me to strike quickly and get out of reach before the target can try to fight back. That being said, I feel like it's not as great as the skill you used in the first room. What was that anyway?” Sora thinks back.

“Oh, that one. It's called Rising Star. It's just five slashes that form a star-shape, aimed upwards at higher enemies. It's okay, pretty strong I must admit, but in terms of usability it's not as great as Horizontal Square or Triple Threat. Even those two combined pale in comparison to Sachi's Crescendo Rush.” Ducker nods in agreement as he looks at Sachi.

“That's true. A fast and furious seven-hit combo. The first six hits are devastating enough as it is, but that final strike is the very definition of brutality. It's the perfect skill to use against a Floor Boss, since it just eats away at their HP.” Sachi dismisses the praise without hesitation.

“It's not _that_ special, really. It just happened to work out well because Jorōgumo wasn't focused on me, and because I was technically flanking her. I did very little, in comparison to Nebula. He deserves all the credit for the outcome of this battle.” Everyone seems to be in agreement about this, and Diavel takes it upon himself to expand upon Sachi's statement.

“That goes without saying. Not only were you the one to lead this battle, but you put yourself up as the only tank. Your skill was unmatched, and your reflexes were God-like. You tore into Jorōgumo's health, and forced her to aggro against you any time she tried to attack anyone else, keeping her occupied while Ducker moved to use his Lacerating Flash. We couldn't have done this without you. I sure hope you were appropriately rewarded for your efforts.” Sora does his best to ignore the praise, and focuses on his loot.

“The Last Attack Bonus landed me a new sword. Shadowbane. It's... really powerful, actually. It's five times more powerful than my Frost Maiden Sword +8. This sword will last me a long time, unless I happen to break it in a really tough battle. I...” Sora trails off as he looks through his stats, noticing something unusual. Sachi prompts Sora to continue.

“What is it? Is something wrong?” Sora shakes his head.

“No, not wrong, just unexpected. I've unlocked something called a Unique Skill. This Unique Skill, is called Dual Blades... I can use Sword Skills that are specific to dual-wielding. There's a defensive skill here, so I might not need to get a new shield. I probably will anyway. I should probably reserve Dual Blades for tougher battles, times when I really need to use it. Or maybe not. I don't know enough about this Unique Skill to make any decisions about the future.” Sachi looks at the statistics for Dual Blades and lets out a low whistle.

“Wow, that's really impressive. A boost to attack speed, weapon defence and skill cool-down? You'll be able to chain skills a lot better then. Your DPS has always been pretty high, but with Dual Blades it'll be exponentially higher. Train this up properly and you'll quickly become the strongest player in the game, by a wide margin. I don't see any details about how the skill was unlocked though.” Diavel looks lost in thought.

“I never heard anything about Unique Skills during the beta test, so I'm afraid I can't give any definite answers. Most likely, it's a combination of multiple pre-requisites being met. One-hand Sword proficiency is a definite requirement. Agility as well needs to be very high, I would imagine, plus a certain amount of strength too, since wielding two swords would become tiring for someone of low strength. More than anything though, I think you'd need the right reflexes. Even with System Assist, you're still going to need to be able to move and react extremely quickly. You proved that you have outstanding reflexes in that battle though. You chained off the Slant skill fifteen times in a row, flowing fluidly from post-motion delays to Initial Motions without any errors, executing each skill with the perfect timing to deflect Jorōgumo's web shots. When it came to parrying her sickles, your reflexes were perfect there as well, minimising the damage she could deal to you. It was only her first web shot that actually hit you, but that doesn't seem to have been taken into consideration for the unlocking of this Unique Skill. Errors don't seem to make a difference, as far as I can tell, though you only made one very minor one. I can't think of any player better suited to the Dual Blades skill than you. In your hands, it'll be a genuine game-changer.”

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**February 18th 2023 – 1944 AST  
Floor 1 – Tolbana**

Sora stands atop a high wall, staring out over the fields, and the players coming back from a day of hunting Frenzied Boars. As the sun sinks below the horizon and stars begin to shimmer brightly, Sora hears the rustling of cloth. He turns to the source of the sound: a short person almost entirely hidden by a hooded khaki cloak. Sora stares disapprovingly at the new arrival.

“You sure pick the strangest of places to meet with me, Argo. You know the Army has spies around here.” The hooded figure doesn't answer right away, but rather leans against the ramparts. The last rays of sunlight illuminate a youthful feminine face, shortish auburn hair, brown eyes, and whisker-like markings on her cheeks. After a few moments, she replies.

“You should know by now jus' how cautious I am, kiddo. I wasn' followed. No-one even knows I'm 'ere, 'cept fer you. No-one'll overhear us talking. So: how'd the mapping go?” Sora looks distant.

“Nothing at all like we expected. We spent nearly four hours in the labyrinth. There are only two chambers we missed, but neither are crucial. I'm certain of that.” Argo looks at Sora curiously.

“Oh? What makes ya so sure? Isn' one o' them the Boss Room?” Sora shakes his head.

“No, we found that. More than that, we beat the boss.” Argo almost falls over from the shock.

“You wha'?! A-Are ya serious? Ya beat the Floor 18 Boss wi' jus' six players?! I-I mean, I know ya solo-killed Nerius, but the diff'rence in strength must've been overwhelming. How didja do it?” Sora takes a moment to construct his answer in his head.

“It wasn't easy, not at all. There were seven of us, for the record. Diavel joined us for the mapping expedition. The boss was Jorōgumo, and she was one Hell of a monstrous spider. All the mobs in that labyrinth are spiders, but she takes the biscuit. She used a pair of Kama that were chained together, so not your average Kusarigama. She could also spit globs of web, which hurt. I speak from experience. We split up into three defensive pairs, and myself as tank and aggro-bait. We co-ordinated our attacks very well, all in all, but I had to go out of my way to keep her focused on me. Ducker dealt good damage with a five-hit combo, and Sachi with a seven-hit combo. I severely enraged Jorōgumo though, and she destroyed my brand new shield. She tried chaining web shots, so I responded by chaining Slant, deflecting her web shots back at her. Eventually we wore her down and killed her. I landed the Last Hit, so I got the Bonus for it: a one-hand sword called Shadowbane. Mostly the same dimensions as the Frost Maiden, but vastly more powerful. I was the only one to take damage, but even then I didn't even go yellow. I had to give it my all though. I had to protect everyone. It was the only way to make it out alive.” Argo seems confused.

“I don' understand. Why didja go in there in the first place? Ya know Boss fights are dangerous-” Sora interrupts her.

“There was no Gate. This Boss Room... there was no doorway into it or anything. It just looked like a normal chamber until we got into it properly. The Floor 18 labyrinth is unlike all other labyrinths. It doesn't have floors. It doesn't need them. The chambers and tunnels move around, in ten minute intervals. Even though we were in there for nearly four hours, I didn't have long enough to fully understand the exact pattern of movements. I could only make estimates. The Boss Room, along with the two chambers we missed, are only accessible once every hour. We barely even made it to the Boss Room before the tunnel moved away, trapping us in there. If we didn't fight the boss, we would have died. It wasn't a very tough choice to make, really. Either risk dying by fighting, or definitely die by not fighting. I'd rather die fighting than cowering, so I fought, and won.” Argo shakes her head incredulously.

“I see now. I knew we'd find weird lab'rinths sooner or later, but I wasn' 'specting it this early, or this weird. So Floor 19's open now? Tha's good to know. I'm assumin' you'll be sellin' monster data, boss data, and the mappin' data you've acquired? Is there anythin' else?” Sora nods.

“There's the data on Shadowbane as well. I don't mind selling that. There _is_ one more piece of information, but it's not for sale.” Argo seems mildly intrigued.

“Hm? Are ya sure 'bout tha'? You won' get a better offer from anyone else, I can guarantee it.” Sora shakes his head.

“When I say it's not for sale, I mean that I'll tell you about it for free, on the condition that you don't sell it to other players.” Argo lowers her hood.

“Now I really _must_ know wha' it is. If ya really insist upon me not sellin' it, then I give ya me word that I'll keep this confidential, no matter what.” Sora looks distant for a moment.

“After killing Jorōgumo, I discovered I'd unlocked something that not even Diavel knew about. Something called a Unique Skill. This particular Unique Skill, is called Dual Blades. I-” Sora stops suddenly as he sees Argo swaying, almost collapsing. He grabs her and holds her steady.

“Argo? Are you okay?” Argo tries to stand, but her legs feel like jelly.

“You sure know how to give a lady a heart attack, kiddo. I never 'spected somethin' like that, and def'nitely not this early on. Floor 40 maybe, but not 18. I've only heard rumours abou' Unique Skills, so wha' I say next is unverified, which means I won't charge ya for it. 'parently, Unique Skills are the absolute pinnacle o' skills learned in this game. There's only a handful, less than a dozen I think, but they're basically game-changers. They've got a whole host o' pre-requisites for unlocking 'em, which is why I'm so surprised you've a Unique Skill already. Dual Blades... for that ya'd need ridiculous amounts o' One-hand Sword proficiency, very high agility, reasonably high strength, and insanely good reflexes. Given that ya said ya chained Slant fifteen times, I guess that means you've the right reflexes, and everythin' else 'parently. A Unique Skill... an' yer sure ya don' wanna sell the information? If ya sold that yaself, you could make millions.” Sora shakes his head firmly.

“It wouldn't be worth it. Red Players would try to kill me in the fields, frontliners would challenge me to endless duels, and the Clearers would treat me as nothing more than a weapon. If this became common knowledge, everyone would expect me to clear the game for them. They'd pin all of their hopes upon me, heap on the pressure, blame me for every death and every slow victory, until the weight of it all would break me. That in turn would destroy Sachi, and the Moonlit Black Cats would fall apart. I can't let that happen. I need this to be kept secret. The main reason I told you about it is because I had a hunch you might know something, even if it hasn't been verified.” Argo nods knowingly.

“I see where yer coming from now, kiddo. I 'ate to admit it, but there's an awful lot o' nasty players trapped in this world, an' not just the Player Killing kind. The worst are the manipulative players, an' they'd all target ya if they found out 'bout this skill. Even so, the truth's gonna come out eventually. Ya know that, right?” Sora sighs wearily.

“Yeah... yeah I do. I know I can't keep this a secret forever, but the longer I do, the better. Maybe once everyone else has gotten stronger, or when other players start unlocking Unique Skills... maybe then it won't be so dangerous for my Dual Blades to be known about. I can't handle the kind of burden they'd place on me by myself, but if there were others to share that burden with me, it would be a different story.” Argo studies Sora curiously, suppressing her admiration as she steels herself to share something troubling.

“Nebula... there's somethin' I oughta tell you 'bout. I saw yer duel earlier today. Yer opponent; Exceed, has been scouted by a Red Player, an' a particularly skilled manipulator at tha'. More'n skilled enough to turn Exceed onto a very dark path, one he won' be able to turn back from.” Sadness flashes through Sora's eyes for a moment.

“I feel like a part of me knew this would happen. I had hoped he wouldn't be so foolish. I underestimated his ego. His friends will be devastated if they ever find out. I'll just have to hope that he targets me first. I can beat him, and send him to prison. If he attacks his friends first though, they could die. I should have held back against him. I could have avoided this if I'd only had the patience to show a little mercy, but I didn't. I was annoyed by his attitude and decided to punish him for it. It was overkill.” Argo puts a hand on Sora's left shoulder.

“Ya can' blame yerself fer this, kiddo. His egotism is his own doing. If ya didn' knock 'im down a few pegs, someone else would've. I'd advise you to watch yer back, though. People like Exceed can hold grudges 'til the end of time. He'll definitely seek to hurt you, an' there's no guarantee he'll take a direct path to tha' end. He could end up hunting yer friends first, just to see you suffer. Don' give him the opportunity.” Sora stands resolutely.

“I'll make sure he never gets it. I've lost too much as it is, I have no intention of losing any more. Thank you for sharing that with me, Argo. I'd best head back to the others before they start worrying about me, especially Sachi. They'll also need to know about Exceed, since it will affect them too.” Sora leaves before Argo can say anything in response, so she watches him departing with great curiosity. _He's experienced loss? He said he's lost too much. Tha' mus' be why he seems so much older than he appears. He's been forced to grow up too quickly, so he doesn' act like a child all tha' often, jus' when he's in a good mood. Then, the Dual Blades skill isn' the only thing I need to keep a secret. It wouldn' sit well wi' me to go sellin' information on Nebula with everythin' he's been through, whatever it is exactly that he's actually been through._

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**February 18th 2023 – 2018 AST  
Floor 19 – Ralberg**

Sora materializes within the Teleport Gate of a large market town encompassed by castle walls. Sora looks about himself, at the buildings arranged in an exceptionally neat grid, and spots Diavel standing only a few metres away.

“Diavel... were you looking for me?” Diavel leans against a pillar at the corner of the Teleport Gate plaza.

“Yes, but not on behalf of the Black Cats. I was hoping to talk to you, in private if possible. I get the feeling I'd have trouble getting clear answers if Sachi's around.” Sora wavers for a moment.

“Well, I suppose that couldn't hurt. Of course, I can't guarantee that I'll be able to tell you everything you want to know.” Diavel nods.

“I understand that. I'm just looking to learn a bit more about the Black Cats, about you and Sachi in particular. There are things I don't quite understand right now, so I'm hoping to find a few puzzle pieces here.” Sora starts walking, leading Diavel away from the plaza.

“I think I can guess a couple areas of your confusion, so I'll start by clearing those up. Sachi is my older sister. I know, SAO was supposed to be one copy per household. A guy who had bought the game had a change of heart, something to do with his girlfriend being unhappy with his gaming, or something. I'm having a bit of trouble remembering now. He'd overheard me revising notes about RPGs, and when he learned that I was experienced with the genre and hoping to play SAO myself, he decided to give me his copy of the game. I already had a NerveGear rig, and with Sachi getting her copy of the game as well as a NerveGear, we were both able to play the game. Together.” Diavel lets out a low whistle.

“So _that's_ the story between you two. I figured it might be, but I couldn't work out how it was possible. Now I know. That person's decision must be a double-edged sword, when you think about it. He intended it as an act of kindness, but instead trapped you inside a Death Game. You're in danger here, but you're also able to protect your sister.” Sora nods.

“That's right. I can't help but wonder what that guy's doing right now. I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that he's worrying about me. I have no grudge against him though. I _want_ to be here, with Sachi. I can help her here. If I were outside of the game... I'd lose it. The reason we're so protective of one another, and why she's possessive of me, is that we're the only members of our family left. Our grandparents died before I was born. My mother died before I was two years old, my father died before I turned eight, and my twin brother took his own life just three days after that. Sachi is all I have left in this world, and I am all she has left. True, the others in the Moonlit Black Cats are our friends, but that's not the same thing. Sachi and I are inseparable. We draw strength and comfort from one another. We protect and support each other, no matter what. If one of us were to die, the other would either die from grief, or else simply become paralysed by despair, trapped in some kind of waking coma. That's why we're so strong, much stronger than most other players. We need one another. I can't live without her, and she can't live without me. As a result, we fight as hard as we can, become as strong as we can, in order to ensure neither of us gets killed.” Diavel stares distantly for a while.

“I see now. That's why you rarely come across as a child. You've experienced so many more hardships than most people your age. It's forced you to grow up faster than you should have. Now, you can only really act your age when you're in a good mood, when it's safe to do so, or else to try and cheer up those around you.” Sora doesn't answer right away.

“I just... do whatever I feel is right. I do whatever my instincts tell me to do. It's not just Sachi that I'll protect. If I see anyone in need of help, my reflex is to come to their aid. It's just that Sachi takes priority over everyone, including myself. She's... not quite the same as me there. She'll protect the Black Cats, but that's about all. She'll only help other people if doing so helps me as well. There's a reason for that but... it's not something I like to talk about. There's only so much negativity I can handle in one day.” Diavel raises an eyebrow.

“This conversation?” Sora shakes his head.

“Not just that. Argo gave me some bad news earlier. Exceed has been recruited by a Red Player. He's taken his first steps down the path to becoming a Player Killer himself. He'll no doubt seek to hurt me, but there's no guarantee he won't attack someone close to me in order to that. Tread lightly, Diavel-kun. If Exceed knows that we're friends, he'll target you, sooner or later. I don't ever want to see your name being crossed off of the Monument of Life.” Diavel speaks reassuringly.

“Don't worry, I won't let that happen. I promise. I don't plan on dying in this world, not after you saved my life against Illfang. I've... been wanting to apologize to you for that. My behaviour that day was inexcusable, as was the way I treated you up until you rescued me. I-” Sora interrupts him.

“It's in the past, Diavel-kun. Everyone gets a little ambitious sometimes, and many people get a little ahead of themselves. So you wanted the Last Attack Bonus? Who cares? Don't we all want to get that in Boss Raids? I vowed to ensure no-one died in that battle, and I upheld my vow. Everything else is excess. You've already learned from your mistakes. You've paid attention to what I told you that day, I can see that as clear as crystal. That's all that matters. I was never angry with you, and I'll be damned if I start being angry about it now. All is forgiven. Unlike Exceed, I'm not the type to hold grudges. Well... not unless Sachi is hurt or endangered, but she wasn't.” Diavel looks away.

“I don't deserve your forgiveness.” Sora shrugs.

“Whether you feel like you do or not, you have it. I can be quite stubborn, just so you know, so it's pointless to argue.” Diavel sighs.

“I see that. I have one more question, if it's okay. I heard Sachi calling you 'Sora'. Would I be right in assuming that's your real name?” Sora nods.

“It is, but it's not written as you might think. My name uses the characters for 'celestial', but the pronunciation for 'sky'. I believe my father had a reason for that choice, but I'm not sure what it is. Sachi knows, but she always evades me on the subject.” Diavel looks intrigued.

“Well, that's quite unusual. In the interest of fairness, I should tell you my name. Dean... Dean Valentine. Quite mundane in comparison.” Sora refrains from commenting upon this.

“So, where do we go from here? You don't have any more questions?” Diavel shakes his head.

“No, not anymore. You filled in all the blanks, more than I was expecting you to do as well. For now, I'll be heading back to Floor 13. There's two dungeons there that the Army mapped out. I'm going to look around to see if there's anything they missed. I've done that for the previous Floors, but then I rushed my way to the frontlines on a whim. You've told me more than I expected, and I've learned an awful lot, not just from you but from the Moonlit Black Cats as a whole. I need to take some time out to do a little soul-searching, and the frontlines are not ideal for that. Once I've found whatever it is I'm looking for, I'll return to the frontlines stronger than ever. In the meantime, don't count on seeing me in Boss Raids. They're a little too dicey for my liking. Besides, now that you have Dual Blades, I'd only get in the way. Maybe I'll see if I can find my own Unique Skill, but since no-one knows how to unlock them, that could be tough. At any rate, I won't be taking any unnecessary risks. I'll keep in touch, and I'm sure we'll see each other around quite often. I just need to go back to playing solo for a while until I can get my head on straight.” Sora reflects on this.

“I see. If that's what you believe is the best course of action, then I'll leave you to it. I wish you the best of luck, and I hope that you find what you're looking for soon.” The two part ways, with Diavel heading back to the plaza, lost in thought. _I hope so too. I'm going to need it, in order to survive in this world. More importantly, I'm going to need it so that I can help Sora to shoulder the burden that will inevitably be placed upon him. Once people learn he has a Unique Skill, they'll look to him to beat the game. They'll stop treating him as a person, and start treating him as a weapon. When things go wrong, they'll blame him for it. I can't let that happen. I need to support him, along with the Moonlit Black Cats. It's the only way to truly earn his forgiveness. To do that... I need to find the same thing that he and Sachi have: a reason to live. A reason to fight against all the odds, and to defy death. I need to find a reason to keep going, and to actively refuse to die. I don't have anyone like those two do, but maybe I can find something else in this world that will have the same result. Sachi is the source of Sora's overwhelming strength, and Sora is the source of Sachi's. I need to find a source that will provide me with just as much strength, I just have no idea where to look for it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The most observent of you will perhaps recognise Taro Kitamura's alias. For those who don't, it appears briefly at the end of SAO episode one. It was a name featured on the Monument of Life, directly under Kirito's, and was crossed out as one of the first 2,000 players to die. By giving his copy of SAO to Sora, Taro (aka Kitaro) became the first person to escape death, the second being Diavel.
> 
> Some of you may also be able to zero-in on the inspiration I had for the Floor 18 Labyrinth. I've taken a look at the SAO wiki and looked at some of the Labyrinths there, and I was suprised how similar they seem to be. That's not actually very common in RPGs, so I decided to mix things up. The lack of a Gate was also inspired by my experience in other RPGs. While games like Legend of Zelda clearly mark the boss room, there are many games that don't, so I chose to use that knowledge here.
> 
> There were two things in particular I wanted to detail in this chapter: Keita's drawbacks as a leader, and Sachi's possessiveness of Sora. I've shown how affectionate she can be with him, but I wanted to do a better job of demonstrating how protective and possessive of him she can be. I think I succeeded here, but there'll be more examples in future. Likewise, I feel that I made a good effort of highlighting Keita's flaws. This will become important very soon. 
> 
> This chapter also marks the first appearance of Argo. Much like in the anime, actually, where she debuted in episode 3. Trying to write her dialogue was... interesting, to say the least. When it comes to writing I naturally do so quite formally. Correct spelling and grammar, at least as much as possible. So writing for Argo, with her casual conversation style, was a challenge. I think I did okay. Could be better though.


	4. A Conflict of Interests

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On Floor 20 of Aincrad, the Knights of the Blood Oath make their debut. With the help of the Moonlit Black Cats, the battle against Floor 20's Field Boss goes smoothly. Afterwards, Asuna meets with the Black Cats to propose a merger, but the proposition gets shut down firmly.
> 
> Later on, Asuna stalks Sora and Sachi as the pair heads out on a mapping expedition, believing that she'll land herself with a golden opportunity to get the merger approved. When she makes her move though, the timing is flawed, and sets off a short chain of events that places Sachi in mortal danger.
> 
> Meanwhile, Taro and Mikoto learn how Sachi and Sora met the rest of the Black Cats, and learn a little more about Sora's level of education.

**February 28th 2023 – 1141 JST  
Tokoruzawa Hospital**

Taro looks at Dr Samson with an expression of intrigue.

“So Akatsuki was a member of a Naginatajutsu Club? That could end up giving her an edge in Sword Art Online. I wonder how she ended up in a Computer Club, then?” Dr Samson glances at Sora briefly before answering.

“Her highschool didn't have a Naginatajutsu Club. She tried to form one of her own, but she couldn't get the members she needed. She ended up joining a dojo instead. On the way home from there one day, she overheard a few of her classmates talking about playing RPGs, and she got curious. She came to befriend the group, who themselves were struggling to maintain their club. Her joining helped the club to survive. Through her, the club met Sora as well, and they all managed to get along very well. They had the right personalities to be able to become good friends, and quite quickly too.” A thought occurs to Mikoto, who had been sitting quietly until now.

“What was Sora's schooling like? I mean, he lost his father and brother at a very early age, and so close together too. It's hard to imagine he would have stayed at school after that.” Dr Samson nods.

“And you'd be right. Sora was... never particularly keen on school. I suppose that's normal for children, but Sora was a victim of bullying. Childish stuff, mostly making jokes about his date of birth, but it was enough to bother him. When he lost his father and brother, he lost all remaining motivation to go to school. Akatsuki was able to arrange for him to be home-schooled, with the help of a neighbour who acted as their guardian. Akatsuki would often study from home as well, especially in the immediate aftermath. Actually, the reason Sora already had a NerveGear before SAO was for school. He underwent virtual education, which he found greatly preferable to interactive learning programs. By the time Sword Art Online was announced, Sora had already grown accustomed to Full Dive technology. He really enjoyed virtual schooling though, and even took to extensive independent study, in an extracurricular manner. His grades as of 2022 were considerably higher than the majority of children his age. He's already studying at a highschool school level. If it wasn't for SAO, he'd be fast approaching university level by now, despite being only ten years old.” Taro looks gobsmacked.

“Wow!” Dr Samson shrugs.

“It's not as impressive as it sounds. Most kids have the potential to do this as well, but various factors prevent them. Learning disorders, a lack of motivation, a poor school or home environment, bullying, and so on. They can overcome these problems if they have the right encouragement and support, and if they can find a way to develop a passion for studying. That's very rare though, so students like Sora seem more incredible than they really are. That's not to say that Sora isn't incredible, but from an educational perspective; he's less impressive than people might assume, since he's had the support necessary to study despite his past, and has developed a passion for studying in the virtual world.” Mikoto looks at Sora curiously for a few moments.

“Would it be accurate to call him a fast learner, then?” Dr Samson nods emphatically.

“Oh absolutely! Assuming he's passionate about the subject of course, but if he is: he can learn a lot about it and very quickly. He has a surprisingly sharp mind, and what can only be described as a craving for knowledge. He learns as much as he can, as fast as he can, and yet it isn't for his own benefit. His learning, as with just about everything Sora sets his mind to, is entirely for the sake of helping Akatsuki and supporting her in some way. Whatever he can do to lessen the burden on her, he'll do it, no matter how hard. I wouldn't be surprised if he's doing the same in Sword Art. He'll be learning everything he can about the game to find new ways of supporting his sister. He'll find a thousand and one ways to help her, without placing himself in danger. That's just how Sora is. He feels like he's unable to support her properly in the real world, so he'll do whatever he can for her in the virtual one. He told me he would do that, the day he went into the game. I know he's keeping his word.”

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**March 1st 2023 – 1133 AST  
Floor 20 – Cerberus Pass**

Cries of pain ring out through a desolate canyon as four heavily armoured players are sent flying by a ferocious dog the size of a rhinoceros. The canine has shortish brown and black fur, not unlike a Rottweiler, but with light grey stripes branching out from the spine towards the centre of the chest. It has razor sharp teeth measuring up to ten centimetres in length, blood red eyes, and vicious, serrated claws on each paw. The hound pounces upon the nearest prone player, pinning them to the ground under one heavy paw, the claws squealing against the plate armour. The player stabs the giant dog in the side of the paw, seeking to break free, but the monster shows no pain. Instead, the canine snarls hungrily as it lowers its head inexorably towards the player, jaws opening wide as it moves to crunch down upon its prey's skull. As the player begins to resign himself to his fate, the hound is struck by a devastating impact that releases a blinding flash, and knocks the monstrous hound off of the player. The beast glares savagely at its attacker: Asuna. She stands her ground in a mostly white outfit, with red accents and a red skirt, and red crosses on her thigh socks. Her eyes blaze with determination, as she wields an exceptionally ornate silver-and-white rapier. She holds a defensive position as she addresses the shocked player.

“On your feet, soldier. No-one will be dying today, just the Field Boss. Pull yourself together if you want to help us beat this thing.” The prone player comes to their senses and rises to their feet, reclaiming their sword and shield. A squad of five swordsmen approach the beastly canine from its right flank and strike hard with swift slashes, while Asuna analyses the progression of the battle. _We're almost there. The Hound of Desolation is close to death. We just have to keep this up for a little longer, and this Field Boss will be no more. As the Knights of the Blood Oath's debut fight, it is imperative that all goes well. As the guild's second-in-command, I have to ensure that no-one dies. Morale needs to be restored after eighteen members of the Aincrad Liberation Squad were wiped out by this overgrown mongrel_. As the Hound of Desolation drops into the red, it lets out a furious roar. Those closest to the beast receive Status Effect Icons for Stun, Delay, Panic, and Defence Down. At the apex of the roar, a large number of rock spires erupt out of the ground randomly, causing all players within twenty metres to evade in order to avoid being hit. Three blurs flash past Asuna with startling speed, heading towards the group of Swordsmen. Two of the blurs reveal themselves to be Sora and Keita, both of whom wear very similar black and silver armour. The pair slash at the rock spires in order to protect the afflicted players, while the third blur resolves itself to be Ducker, who uses his agility to pull the players away from danger. Asuna makes a snap decision.

“Black Cats: Finish this!” Keita nods to Sora, giving an order as he moves to help Ducker.

“You know what to do. A four-point attack will finish the job.” Sora becomes a blur as he explodes forwards, bearing down upon the Hound of Desolation, who charges towards Sora. The boy stops his rush suddenly, and swings upwards viciously with a large black and silver round shield, aiming for the dog's chin. The Hound of Desolation digs its paws into the ground at the last moment, pulling its head back just clear of Sora's shield. The boy continues on his momentum, spinning around and slashing at the hound, carving deeply into its throat while he holds his shield behind him. Two shadows fall upon the Hound of Desolation from opposite sides, as Sachi and Sasamaru strike in perfect unison, thrusting their spears through the canine's throat, their weapons crossing over halfway through and driving the beast to the ground as they pierce the floor of the canyon. Sora pushes up with his shield just as Tetsuo jumps onto it, helping the latter to springboard towards the hound. Tetsuo brings his war-hammer down upon the skull of the brute with earth-shaking force, and the Hound of Desolation explodes into polygons. Sora performs a sword flourish before sheathing the Frost Maiden. He claps Tetsuo upon the shoulder.

“Nice kill! Your Bonecrusher +7 4H3D is even stronger than I thought it was. I almost pity that overgrown pooch. _Almost_.” Tetsuo shrugs.

“It _is_ pretty powerful, but compared to your Shadowbane +8 4A3Q1S... well I don't think there's anyone who can compete with _that_. You didn't use it in this fight though, which kinda surprised me.” Sora shakes his head.

“It's overkill, that's why. I save the Shadowbane for Floor Bosses. Using it against a slobbering poodle just isn't worthwhile. I need to let other people get the Last Attack Bonus _sometimes_ , otherwise no-one will want to work with us.” Tetsuo raises an eyebrow.

“Well, I guess when you put it that way, it makes a lot of sense. Speaking of which, I got a pretty decent item from this battle. Earth-Breaker Boots. It negates terrain penalties, and provides small boosts to movement speed, defence and attack strength. That could all come in handy, particularly in places like this.” The rest of the Black Cats come over, and Sora exchanges high-fives with his sister and Sasamaru.

“Outstanding lancing you two. That was absolutely perfect precision on the strike. You're more in-sync than you've ever been before. I think we've all got this manoeuvre firmly locked in now. I can't think of any way to improve upon it.” Sachi's cheeks redden from the praise, and Sasamaru tries not to feel too proud about the compliments.

“Well, we _have_ practised this a lot, so it's about time we get it spot on. Still, I think we should start looking towards stepping the manoeuvre up a notch. A five-point strike, and then on to six-point. This'll do good against Floor Bosses _now_ , but not forever. That being said, I certainly believe this shows how well we've grown as a team. We're able to coordinate that attack without any communication. It shows just how close we've grown, how much trust we have in one another as well.” Sora nods, and smiles as well.

“I couldn't have put it better myself. We've found our rhythm, and we have very strong bonds. We can anticipate one another's moves, and we can fight confidently knowing we're looking out for each other. We just need to keep working on our unity, and we'll be unstoppable. I always knew we could beat this game as long as we stuck together, and this battle demonstrated that.” The sounds of stones shifting underfoot, and of a rapier being sheathed, draw the attention of the Moonlit Black Cats, as Asuna approaches them.

“You have my gratitude. The Moonlit Black Cats have proven themselves to be indispensable allies once again, and your prowess within battle is truly formidable. If you would be willing, I would like to make a proposition to you. Shall we meet at The Hunting Hound Inn at 1300?” Keita hesitates a moment, before nodding.

“Sure. I'd like to hear this proposition of yours.” Asuna seems pleased with the reply.

“Excellent! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to report this victory back to Commander Heathcliff.” As Asuna walks away, Sachi pulls Sora close to her. Each knows how the other is feeling without having to say anything. They are both thinking the exact same thought. _I have a very bad feeling about this._

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 1st 2023 – 1300 AST  
Floor 20 – Canisine – The Hunting Hound Inn**

Sora, Sachi, Keita and Asuna all sit together at a table in a quiet corner of an otherwise boisterous saloon. The rest of the Moonlit Black Cats are nowhere to be seen, something which Asuna picks up on.

“Are the others not joining us?” Sachi responds to the question.

“Tetsuo needed to make urgent repairs to his Bonecrusher, while Ducker and Sasamaru are scouring the marketplace. Even though the Army no longer conducts mapping expeditions, Teleport Crystals are still in short supply. We've sent those two off to try and find some, before the supply runs dry once more. As strong as we are, we're not so foolish as to go into dangerous dungeons unprepared. We don't have enough Teleport Crystals to share between us, so any mapping expeditions we go on tend to be short excursions with smaller parties. It's risky, but we make it work all the same.” Asuna nods.

“I see. Then I'll get straight to the point. I would like to propose a merger, between the Moonlit Black Cats and the Knights of the Blood Oath.” The proposition takes the other three completely by surprise. Keita manages to find his voice.

“A merger? I can safely say I wasn't expecting something like that to be proposed. What's brought this on?” Asuna plays her hand.

“The Moonlit Black Cats is the most powerful of all the small guilds, and also one of the three most famous guilds in this world. The feats you have performed exceed everyone's expectations, repeatedly. Even so, a small guild has its limitations. As skilled as you are, being short in number is problematic. The dungeons are getting harder, the monsters stronger and smarter. New obstacles are appearing, ones that make even the Floor 18 Labyrinth seem simple and harmless. It won't take long for the dungeons to become too difficult for you to map out with such small numbers. Even more so with you being lacking in Teleport Crystals. If you merge with us, you'll have an equal share of our supplies, including the Crystals you need. We'll also be able to provide additional players for mapping expeditions. The Knights of the Blood Oath may be a very young guild, but it is populated by many of the most elite players in this game, boasting some of the highest stats and best equipment. With those assets at your disposal, mapping expeditions will become safe and easy. What do you say?” Keita seems almost gobsmacked by the pitch.

“You certainly know how to make a powerful argument. I-” Sachi cuts him off sharply.

“I'm strongly against this proposal!” Both Keita and Asuna flinch at Sachi's interruption. Sora takes the opportunity to voice his own opinions.

“I'm afraid I have to oppose this as well. I have no delusions about the capabilities and the resources of the Knights of the Blood Oath, but our two guilds are far too dissimilar for a merge to be practical. I can foresee a great many problems and conflicts arising in the near future, with an unacceptably high risk of lives being lost. This merger would be nothing short of disastrous, and dangerous. If it were to go ahead, then both Sachi and I would resign without delay. I cannot place her in jeopardy, and nor can she do so to me. For our safety, we would have to leave. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it is. Let's go, Sachi, there's nothing more for us to discuss here.” Sachi nods in agreement, and the pair rise from their seats and start walking away, leaving Asuna speechless.

“B-but... wha-” Keita speaks up, rising from his seat as well.

“I'll try talking to them. There _must_ be some kind of misunderstanding here.” Keita chases after his companions, catching up to them near a central plaza.

“Wait! Sachi... Sora... what's gotten into you?” Sachi turns on Keita, looking angry with him.

“Keita: as our leader, you need to learn to read between the lines more. You let yourself get distracted by her sales pitch. You focused too much on the benefits she was claiming to provide, without hearing the deception underneath.” Keita falters.

“Wh-” Sora interrupts, explaining Sachi's statement.

“You weren't paying attention to several key things that Asuna said. First of all, she said that the Knights of the Blood Oath has the Crystals that we need. Isn't that a little suspicious to you? Why would they have a surplus of Crystals if they're as strong as they claim? Because they're trying to lure in small guilds like ours, that's why. The Knights of the Blood Oath are the ones wiping out the Crystal supply, leaving small guilds like ours in a dangerous position. They've pounced upon one of the most crucial resources in the game, and then they use that as a bargaining chip for the guilds that are most desperate for it. That's an extremely underhanded tactic. Not even the Divine Dragon Alliance would stoop that low. Don't get me wrong; the DDA are shady, but they don't try to hide it. The Knights of the Blood Oath do. They're trying to trick us into thinking that they're friendly, but they're not. That was just the first area you overlooked, but there's another major problem. The Knights of the Blood Oath is highly elitist. Asuna was placing heavy emphasis on referring to her guild-mates as being elite players with first-rate stats and equipment. She placed even more emphasis on that than on her attempt at flattering us by stating the obvious. We already know we're the most powerful small guild. We're the _only_ small guild within the Clearers. Asuna was trying to feed our egos, to distract us from the fact that she thinks her comrades are better than us. She was very subtle in implying that we're too weak to survive without her guild. You overlooked that, but Sachi and I didn't. Now we come to the main problem with the Knights of the Blood Oath, and the most important statement that you failed to pay attention to: Asuna referred to her guild-mates as ' _assets_ '. That was an error on her part. She was so sure that you had already been swayed by her sales pitch that she slipped up and showed her true colours. She doesn't see players as people. She sees them as objects, as weapons and armour. She's not alone in feeling like that. All of the commanders within the Knights of the Blood Oath are the same. They believe that they're in possession of a great number of weapons that they have control over. Hell, this Heathcliff guy was so confident in his ' _assets_ ' that he didn't even show up for the fight. What kind of leader skips out on a Boss Fight? A guild is not like that. People are not items. We've made it this far on our own because we respect one another. We trust one another. We're not just a guild anymore. We're a family. We won't be able to say that anymore if we merge with the Knights of the Blood Oath. Think about it: how can you coordinate with people you don't know and don't trust? You saw the perfection of our Four-Point Strike. We pulled that off because we know each other so well, because we're as close as family and because we trust one another implicitly. We don't have the same bonds with anyone in the Knights of the Blood Oath. We can't coordinate with them, and we won't be able to protect them either. We could end up dying. Whether it's because of a fall-out with their elitist members, or simply a failure to coordinate, sooner or later someone will end up getting killed, and they'll die for real. This merge would endanger Sachi. I can't allow that. It would endanger me, and so Sachi can't allow it either. We've lost too much as it is already, Keita. You know that better than most people. You can't ask us to risk losing anyone else. We have to remain independent. The Moonlit Black Cats must not merge. Not with the Knights of the Blood Oath, not with the Divine Dragons Alliance. Not with anyone. We're strongest just the way we are.” Keita stumbles back as Sora's avalanche of arguments buffets him with palpable weight. He averts his eyes in shame.

“I-I'm sorry. You're right; I got distracted by Asuna's sweet-talking, and failed to look beneath the surface. Now that I do so, I can see the very flaws that you've pointed out. We can't merge with the Knights of the Blood Oath. The advantages to the merger are massively outweighed by the disadvantages. I can't make any decision that would risk causing either of you to suffer any more losses.” Sachi and Sora both seem pleased to hear this. Their relief is short-lived, as they spot Asuna heading towards them with a confident air about her. She looks to Keita expectantly.

“Are we ready to proceed?” Keita shakes his head solemnly.

“I'm sorry, Asuna, but I'm afraid that we must decline your proposition. The Moonlit Black Cats will not merge with the Knights of the Blood Oath.” Asuna falters, as though disbelieving her own ears.

“I-I don't understand. I thought you said that you would talk to them. I thought you said that you would clear up the misunderstanding.” Sora responds to this, his patience beginning to grow thin.

“The only misunderstanding here is your own, where guilds are concerned. You do not understand how guilds work, nor how guild mergers would work as well. Until you can grasp these things, a merger between our two guilds is entirely impossible. It doesn't matter what kind of overly-rehearsed sales-pitch you can come up with, our answer will always be a firm and resounding 'no.' You are wasting your time here. You're wasting ours as well.” Asuna snarls at Sora.

“This is your doing, isn't it? Very well then. Nebula: I challenge you to a duel. When I win, and I will, the Moonlit Black Cats will merge.” Sora frowns at Asuna.

“A duel? To what end? What do you think you will accomplish with this?” Asuna radiates confidence.

“I'm going to prove to you why you and your friends are going to need this merger.” Sora sighs wearily.

“Then I guess it's up to me to prove why we're better off independent. I accept your duel, and the conditions thereof.” Asuna navigates her menus quickly, setting up a First Strike Mode duel. A number of players who had been roaming around aimlessly soon stop to watch as they realise what event is unfolding before them. Sora catches one whisper in particular.

“The Lightning Flash against the Invincible Tank? There's no contest. Speed alone isn't enough to get past Nebula.” Sora accepts the duel before drawing his Frost Maiden and taking up a defensive stance, though he opts to leave his shield upon his back. Asuna draws her Rapier, and crouches low to the ground, preparing to make a high-speed attack. Sora studies her posture closely as the timer counts down. _She intends to open with either Linear or Vorpal Strike. She believes that I will parry her, and so she'll abort the skill part way through and switch to Quadruple Pain instead. I can see through her tactics and defend against them. She is severely underestimating me_. The duel begins, and Asuna races towards Sora, her Rapier glowing crimson as she performs her Initial Motion. As the distance melts away, Asuna realises that Sora isn't making any moves, or preparing any Sword Skills. _Does he seriously believe he can beat a player of my calibre without Sword Skills? He really_ is _a child then_. Asuna activates her Skill, propelling forwards with alarming speed, and yet Sora remains entirely calm. At the last moment, he rotates his body ninety degrees counter-clockwise, swinging his left foot behind him and dropping into a crouch. He plants his right foot firmly as well, just as Asuna's Linear impacts upon Sora's armour, almost slipping into the gap by his right armpit. Despite the ferocity of Asuna's Sword Skill, Sora barely budges, and shows no sign of any pain despite losing a quarter of his health. His refusal to defend himself, his unyielding endurance, and his lack of reaction to Asuna's Linear all cause the girl to experience a moment of doubt and fear. It is in this moment that Sora makes his one and only attack: a brutal lateral slash from left to right that carves deeply into Asuna, slicing just above the hips. The laceration nearly rends Asuna in two, and she is left gasping in agony as her health bar plunges deeply into the red. Sora sheaths his sword as the duel comes to an end.

“If that had been Shadowbane, you would be dead right now. Do not make the mistake of underestimating me again, or my guild for that matter. We are vastly more powerful and more capable than you give us credit for. We don't need you, or your Knights of the Blood Oath. We will be just fine on our own. We'll cope better than you will, of that I have no doubts.” Sora walks away, Sachi and Keita sticking close to him, leaving Asuna frozen on the spot. The crowd whispers and mutters excitedly for a little while, discussing the fight they had just witnessed.

“Did you see that? Man, I'd hate to get on the wrong side of Nebula. He took that Linear like he was being poked with a ball of cotton, didn't even try to avoid it. He totally psyched her out, and she paid the price for it.” Another murmur reaches Asuna's ears.

“So the Moonlit Black Cats are refusing to merge with the Knights of the Blood Oath? Well, it's not like they need to. If ever I got into trouble, I know which guild I'd rather have rescuing me. You'd have to be an idiot to refuse help from the only player to ever solo a Floor Boss. The Black Cats will be the ones to beat this game. I'd bet a million Cor on that, if I had a million Cor to bet with.” As the crowd disperses, Asuna clenches her fist with renewed determination. _This isn't over! I_ will _bring the Moonlit Black Cats into the fold. I have to. For the sake of clearing this game, we need everyone working together, not fractured into separate guilds. I'll find a way to get them to see this. I'll make them realise they need to merge, no matter what it takes!_

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**March 3rd 2023 – 1417 AST  
Floor 20 – Cerberus Pass – Northwest Canyon**

Sachi and Sora walk alone through a shallow but desolate canyon, its cracked terracotta soil devoid of any signs of life. Sora has his Frost Maiden sheathed at his left hip, while Shadowbane is strapped to his back, underneath his round shield, which is eighty centimetres in diameter. The shield is mostly black, save for a band of silver five centimetres thick at the rim. The edge of the shield is also razor sharp, designed for throwing as much as for defence. He wears a black tunic that appears to be made from leathery scales and embroidered with silver thread. Thick plates of silver armour protect much of his torso, shoulders, arms and legs, without seeming to weigh him down or restrict movement. He also wears pale blue fingerless gloves, a bronze ring containing a single ruby, a white-gold necklace bearing a small star, and black boots with silver plates protecting the toes and the heels. Two indigo-hilted daggers are strapped to his lower back in indigo sheaths, while six silver throwing picks hang from the right side of his coffee-coloured belt. Sachi wears a pale blue tunic that reaches to her knees, where it meets the top of her dark grey armour-plated boots. Thick plates of royal blue armour with silver edges cover her torso and shoulders, while black vambraces protect her forearms, appearing to be made from multiple thin plates that partially overlap one another. As Sachi walks, plates of pale blue armour protecting her thighs can be glimpsed. Silver gauntlets protect her hands. She also wears a white-gold necklace identical to Sora's, and a silver stud earring depicting a crescent moon. The backplate of her armour bears the image of a large black cat prowling beneath a dazzling silver moon. She has an ornate yet simplistic spear strapped to her back, featuring a sleek, double-edged spearhead. Four throwing knives are attached to her coffee-coloured belt. Sachi also holds a viciously elegant Naginata. The blade is double-edged, though the back edge is also serrated. A silver tsuba depicting a pair of cranes separates the deadly blade from the black wooden shaft engraved with various serpents and dragons. Instead of a cap at the end of the shaft, there is a sinister arrangement of barbed hooks, three of them, spaced out equidistant around a barbed spike. The outer edges of the hooks are keen, suggesting that the hooks can enter a target easily, but will not be removed without considerable effort. When the pair start to see skeletons littered about the canyon, Sachi begins to slowly twirl her Naginata about herself, seemingly as a subconscious habit. As the frequency of skeletons begins to increase, Sora picks up a stone and hurls it at a bare skull, using a skill to add power to the throw. The stone clatters off of the skull, raising an Immortal Object notification. Sachi looks at Sora questioningly.

“What was that about?” Sora shrugs.

“It's just... everything that dies in this game bursts into shards. I thought it was suspicious that we'd be finding skeletons then, so I wanted to rule out the possibility that these were Undead monsters of some kind. That said, I haven't really proven anything, just that not all of these skeletons are potentially monsters. It could be that only the one I hit is here for decoration, or it could be they're all for decoration. At any rate, I thought it would be best to check. I'd hate to end up in the middle of a hundred skeletal monsters when it's just the two of us here.” Sachi lets out a low whistle.

“That was good thinking. I'd overlooked that possibility. Since this pass is quite shallow, I've been thinking that we're most likely to get ambushed by monsters up above, who may well jump down all around us. Maybe I was just being paranoid.” Sora shakes his head.

“No, you were right. We passed by a pack of Gnolls earlier, but they didn't seem to be able to jump down that far. We've moved far enough away from them for them to de-spawn, but there could well be more up ahead, unless the labyrinth is nearby.” Sachi looks shocked to hear this.

“We passed by Gnolls? How did I not notice them?” Sora looks uncertain.

“I guess you were a little too focused on updating Keita on our progress. They were fairly far away from us, so it makes sense that you wouldn't see them, or hear them for that matter. The noise our armour makes in this parched canyon was loud enough to drown them out. We weren't in their spawn radius for very long, and then we passed out of it.” Sachi ponders this for a few moments.

“I guess that's probably for the best. Gnolls are easily within our capabilities, and they tend to drop a lot of money, but they're usually very poor for other drops. Mediocre weapons, atrocious armour, some jewellery perhaps. Nothing really worth the effort for, all in all. Ultimately they'd just be a waste of weapon durability.” Sora nods. After a moment of silence, he speaks very quietly to Sachi.

“There's something else you ought to know: Asuna is following us. She's been tailing us since we left town, hanging back twenty metres. I'm not sure what she's planning, but it'll probably be something stupid. Be ready for anything.” Sachi has to fight to stop herself from glancing at Sora, let alone from looking back to try and see Asuna.

“You're letting her follow us? What's the plan, little bro?” Sora keeps his voice as quiet as possible.

“My instincts tell me she plans on playing the White Knight routine, rescuing us from danger. We won't need it, but she'll put herself in danger in the process. We'll use that opportunity to show her once and for all that we don't need her. That's my plan, but her presence could still be dangerous. With her trailing behind us like that, she could end up kiting, which could put us in danger. We'll have to be sure we've cleared out all enemies before moving on. My main concern is that she'll misinterpret our combat strategies and end up making a mess of things. One of us could get hurt in that instance, but I have confidence we're strong enough to avoid death. If I have to, I'll use my Dual Blades, but I don't want people to know I have that just yet.” Sachi nods imperceptibly.

“Alright, I'll go along with the plan. You know, you're becoming more and more like a leader every day.” Before Sora can respond to this, Sachi resumes talking at a normal volume.

“So how far do you think we are from the labyrinth? These canyons seem to go on forever.” Sora hesitates a moment, before answering.

“We can't be that far now. The canyon is getting deeper again, so we're not likely to be attacked from above. Anything jumping down would take substantial fall damage. I haven't seen any flying enemies on this Floor yet, so I don't think we have to worry about that. I'd say we've got maybe a hundred metres to go, give or take.” Sachi thinks about this, reflecting upon past expeditions to labyrinths.

“Do you think we'll run into any enemies outside the labyrinth? It's happened before, after all.” Sora rubs his chin as he ponders the question.

“I don't think it'll be too likely. I think we were supposed to fight those Gnolls instead, we just managed to pass by them too quickly for them to attack. Still, that's not to say there won't be more Gnolls right by the entrance. We should ready up just in case.” Sachi nods, and switches her Naginata for her spear. Sora draws his Frost Maiden and holds it slackly, but refrains from holding his shield for the time being. The pair maintain their pace, and soon come to a bend in the canyon. Once they round this bend, the entrance to the labyrinth comes into view. Sora moves slightly ahead of Sachi, raising his sword ready for combat. Sachi grips her spear tightly as well, bracing herself for a battle. Pretty soon though, it becomes clear that nothing is going to spawn in and attack them. Sora relaxes a little.

“Let Keita know we've found the labyrinth, and ask him to let us know if there's anyone else heading our way. I don't want to rush a mapping expedition when it's just the two of us. We could end up in dire straits if we push through too quickly.” Sachi begins writing out the message, but speaks to Sora at the same time.

“So how do you want to play this? I'm your Supporter, after all.” Sora looks lost for a time. _She's_ my _Supporter? I... I guess that's true... even though it was supposed to be the other way around. I was supposed to be the one supporting her... but it hasn't really turned out like that. It's not just because of the limitations in combat styles. My strength and tenacity make sense in only one place: the frontlines. Meanwhile, the only place Sachi makes sense is behind me, backing me up and covering my blind-spots. I don't even know how I can go about being a Supporter in this world. Nothing makes sense here. At the same time though, there's a part of me that thinks I'm looking at the puzzle from the wrong angle, I just can't quite figure out what the right one is_. Sachi sends her message as she looks at Sora anxiously, noticing his troubled expression.

“Sora?” The boy shakes his head.

“Sorry about that... my mind decided to wander off on a tangent. Um... the normal procedure ought to work out just fine. Based on everything I've seen of Floor 20 so far, I think we can expect to see Gnolls, Wolves, Feral Dogs, and other canine-like enemies. Bats are a possibility, but not especially high. I suppose Goblins are also a possibility, but not Kobolds. We're beyond those already. There'll be a lot of group encounters, so we'll have to do a lot of kiting to make sure we don't get flanked or surrounded. The only places where we might fight a solitary opponent is the sub-boss and the Floor Boss. Both will be big, strong, and very very fast. I'm not going to have very many chances to use my Thrown Shield skill, so I'll have to rely on Shield Flip instead. Even though we'll be facing groups, don't use your Great Dragon-hook against the mobs. Sweeping attacks will leave you vulnerable to lunges and pounces. Save your best weapon for the big guys, and use your speed to get the upper hand against the minions. I think that's probably the best way to do this. I know we're not fighting the Boss or anything, but it's still not worth giving the enemies an opening. Stick with your Giant's Needle for this expedition.” Sachi salutes jokingly.

“Sir, yes sir!” Sora sighs wearily.

“Knock it off, idiot, and let's get to work. There could be other Mappers heading this way.” As the pair enter the labyrinth, Asuna peers out around the bend. _So they're really going to explore the labyrinth? Just the two of them? That's perfect! They can't handle it by themselves. They'll definitely get into trouble, and they'll definitely need my help. When I bail them out, they'll have no choice but to accept the merger. I'm not going to give them any choice in the matter. Accepting the merger will be the condition of my help. Nebula deserves to sweat a little after his little stunt the other day. Once Sachi's backed into a corner, he'll have no choice but to reach out to me. A little bit of humbling will do him good. Now, it's time for me to work my magic._

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**March 3rd 2023 – 1829 AST  
Floor 20 Labyrinth – 5th floor**

A pair of humanoids with extremely heavy canine features, both standing two metres tall and with strong muscular builds, circle around Sachi as they try to find a way to slip past her defences. One of the creatures has dark grey fur with white streaks, and wields a hatchet and a Buckler. It has some leather armour protecting it, but not much. The other has earthy brown fur with black spots, and wields a lightly curved Sabre. It also wears a considerable amount of thick leather armour, some of it featuring metal studs to add extra protection. Not far off, Sora fights swiftly against four more of these bipedal hounds, his sword singing through the air to add a melody to his war cries. _These Gnolls are really getting on my nerves. They're smarter than the Gnolls I've fought in other games, and more tenacious. I need to finish off these two flea-bags quickly, so that I can support Sora. If I take too long, Asuna could rush in and make a mess of this battle_. The grey-furred Gnoll in front of her snarls viciously as it grows impatient, drawing a faint smile from Sachi.

“Finally.” Sachi draws back her right arm sharply, striking the Gnoll behind her in the right eye with the butt of her spear. While the brown-furred Gnoll reels from the impact, Sachi's spear glows silver. She thrusts powerfully at the grey-furred Gnoll as it raises its shield, but her spear passes clean through it without any effort, before driving deep into the Gnoll's chest. A shock-wave blasts the grey-furred Gnoll back several metres, giving Sachi the chance to spin around and club her other opponent as it tries to slash at her spine. She makes six more rapid yet forceful strikes at the Gnoll's head before sweeping the ground and tripping the hound. The second the Gnoll slams its head against the ground, Sachi impales the beast's right eye, forcing her spear into the ground. The Gnoll bursts into shards, leaving Sachi to try and wrench her spear free. _Whoops. I should remember not to impale my enemies like that. Having my spear stuck in the ground leaves me vulnerable_. A chill runs down Sachi's spine as she realizes that she is in danger. She spins around to stare into the eyes of the grey-furred Gnoll, its hatchet raised for a heavy strike. Before she can even take a step back, Sora's round shield slices through the Gnoll's throat, decapitating the creature before embedding into the wall. Sachi turns to see Sora, and the four Gnolls rushing at him in unison.

“Sora!” The boy's sword glows pale cerulean for a moment, before he executes a sequence of five high-speed lateral slashes that send him into a spin. At the culmination of the skill, a pentagram of light expands outwards, and the Gnolls disintegrate into shards. Sora maintains a defensive stance for a moment, even after his post-motion delay wears off, before relaxing and walking towards his shield.

“That was a little bit dicey. Those guys did not want to give up their surrounding formation. The 'Divide and Conquer' strategy will be tough for most parties coming through here, so I'll have to make sure Argo warns other players about it. Unfortunately for the Gnolls, you and I aren't that weak, or that easily frightened.” Sachi looks at Sora suspiciously.

“I've never seen your Lateral Pentagram do that much damage before. You've been power-levelling in secret, haven't you? Is that what you're doing when you sneak out in the middle of the night?” Sora flinches as he grabs his shield. After a moment of silence, he sags a little.

“You knew I was sneaking out?” Sachi nods.

“It's been going on for several months now. Ever since you defeated Nerius. Almost every night, I hear you sleeping fitfully, and then you sneak out for three or four hours, before coming back. You sleep a little better when you return, but only a little.” Sora wrenches his shield from the wall before he answers.

“The dreams have been going on since Day One actually, but it's only since Nerius that I decided to take action. It's always the same dream, more or less. I fight as hard as I can, but in the end it isn't enough, and I lose you. I can't stop worrying that these dreams will come true, sooner or later, so I go out into the fields, fight everything I can find, and come back when I'm too exhausted to think straight. Usually I'm too tired to even dream after these late-night sessions, but not always. I have to get stronger. I have to get so much stronger. I need to be strong enough to solo every single Floor Boss, and all of its minions too. I have to be ten times stronger than the next strongest player, if I'm to make sure these nightmares never become reality. I'm sorry I never told you about this.” Sachi hugs Sora from behind.

“It's alright, Sora. It's not like you're the only one. Whenever I hear you sneak out, I wait ten minutes then head out as well. I fight hard for two or three hours, then come back, making sure I come home before you do. I can't stop worrying about you either. You keep ending up by yourself on the frontlines, even when I'm trying to watch your back. Monsters keep trying to separate us, trying to stop me from supporting you. You're not the only one dealing with nightmares, and hoping they never come true. Now that we know about this, maybe we can train together in future.” Sora nods slowly.

“Okay. I guess it'd be better than wandering around in the dark, venturing into the fields alone. Especially when there's Red Players sneaking around. I've been lucky not to have them ambush me so far, but luck isn't something I should be relying on. At least if you're with me, they're less likely to attack, and less likely to succeed even if they do.” Sachi is silent for a moment, looking around as the feeling of being watched sinks in.

“Do you want to call it a day?” Sora shakes his head.

“Not just yet. There's one more room I want to take a look at. We haven't found out where the sub-boss is hiding yet, so I'd like to see where it hangs around, and see what it actually is. Once I know that, we can head back and sell all the information we've gathered so far. We can also start preparing for the inevitable Boss Raid, although I'm certain it's going to be something similar to the Hound of Desolation. Maybe bigger, faster and stronger, but ultimately just a Chihuahua on steroids. We'll need skills that'll slow it down, stun it, or straight-up paralyse it. Attack de-buffing would also help.” Sachi releases Sora, albeit reluctantly.

“Alright, one more room. I guess it can't hurt, and the extra mapping data will earn us some more money. We're so close to being able to buy a headquarters for our guild. Maybe that will encourage more players to apply to join us.” Sora shrugs as he starts walking.

“I don't know about that. Even if it did, would any of the applicants be any good? We haven't exactly had any good ones so far. Three of them applied because they were trying to get close to you, seven were planning on using me like some kind of teddy bear, and the other five? Attitude problems, authority issues, and one guy who thought he'd be allowed to hide out all day and basically get carried through the game. It kind of feels like all the worthwhile players are already in guilds, or else are playing solo because they don't feel like they belong in a group, like Kirito. I don't see a headquarters bringing in any good players, just more applicants who aren't suitable to join us.” Sachi's expression darkens.

“Ah yes, I'd almost forgotten about the girls who mistook you for a mascot. As if we need a mascot. No-one's allowed to hug my little bro except me, damn it! Still, you're probably right. I figured that with our guild being so famous, that people would want to join up and contribute, but apparently not. Just fools, fools and more fools.” Sora seems faintly amused.

“Perhaps it's our fame that scares people away. Perhaps they think we're too strong to need more members. Well, they'd still be fools then. By the way, you should probably dial down on the possessiveness. You've already got Ducker making jokes about you having a Brother Complex, but to outsiders who don't know we're related; you might come across as a... what was the term again? Oh, a Shotacon.” Sachi looks at Sora in surprise.

“Where the heck did you learn that expression?” Sora glances at Sachi questioningly.

“Do you even have to ask? Ducker, of course.” Sachi growls.

“Remind me to neuter Ducker when we get back.” Sora cringes sympathetically.

“Yeesh! That's a little extreme isn't it, Onē-chan? Besides, wouldn't they just grow back once his HP's regenerated?” Sachi replies flatly.

“I meant when we get back to the real world.” Sora looks distant for a while.

“Oh. It's funny, but there are some days when I forget that there even _is_ a real world. It's starting to feel like I've been here my whole life. There are times when I'm not even sure if I want to go back.” Sachi stops dead in her tracks.

“You can't be serious.” Sora comes to a halt, and is silent for a moment.

“I'd like to say I was joking, but I'm not. Think about it: what has the real world ever done for me? For either of us? What have we gained from it? It took away our parents, and Hayabusa, and it's trying to take me as well. Compare that to this world, and what have we lost? Nothing. What have we gained? Strength, courage, close bonds and new friends. My condition won't affect me in here either. In this world, I'm not chained down. I'm free to do anything I set my mind to. If there's anything I can't do _now_ , I know that I _can_ do it in the future, as long as I try hard enough. There's nothing I can do about my condition though. Nothing at all. No matter how much I want to fight against that, eventually it'll take me away. There really isn't anything I can do at all in the real world, unlike here. When I think about the situation like that, I lose all desire to go home. This world is starting to actually _become_ my home. There's far less cruelty in this world than there is out there. That's not to say I don't want to clear the game. It's just that I don't want to do it for my own sake. I want to clear this game for you, and the other Black Cats. You all have long, bright futures ahead of you. I can't stand in the way of that, so I need to clear this game. It's just that I'm not doing it for me, not anymore.” Sachi looks at her brother sadly as he resumes walking. 

“Sora...” A deep, rumbling growl pervades the air, reverberating like thunder. A boulder breaks away from the wall of the labyrinth, uncurling itself to reveal a large, wolf-like monster that stands two metres tall. The underside of the creature, and the inner parts of its limbs are all covered with earthy brown fur, while the rest appears to be covered in loosely overlapping jagged slates. Two small sabre teeth extend ten centimetres from the top jaw, while emerald eyes pierce through the darkness. Three health bars appear, along with the creature's name: Geo Wolf. The wolf advances upon Sachi, singling her out as a target. Sora hurls a Throwing Pick with all his might.

“Hey, you!” The pick clatters off of the wolf's scales harmlessly, and the Geo Wolf shows no reaction to the attack, or the shout. Sora breaks into a sprint, and executes a powerful vertical slash aiming straight upwards between the wolf's rear legs. 

“Don't ignore me!” Sora's Frost Maiden cuts deeply, earning a howl of pain from the Geo Wolf. It spins around quickly, making a full revolution in order to slam Sora with a spiked, mace-like tail. Sora barely raises his shield in time, but even then it makes little difference. Sora is lifted off his feet and flung back ten metres like a tennis ball. He bounces and rolls, before sliding to a halt. As Sora struggles to stand again, he hears the wolf bounding towards him, shaking the ground enough for Sora to stumble as he fights for balance. His shield glows silver as he swings it at Geo Wolf's snout, and the Shield Flip blasts the wolf onto its side. Before Sora can move even a single step, the Geo Wolf rolls swiftly onto its feet, and lowers itself into a crouch as it prepares to pounce. As if from nowhere, Sachi rushes in and thrusts her spear into the wolf's side, just below the jagged slate scales, earning a vicious snarl. The Geo Wolf makes another tight spin, aiming to strike Sachi with its club tail, but Sora acts faster and parries the tail with a Slant, throwing the wolf off-balance. Sachi and Sora both seize the opportunity to strike hard, with Sachi driving her spear into the wolf's throat, and Sora executing a swift Horizontal Arc into the wolf's underbelly. The combined attacks drive the Geo Wolf back a little, providing some breathing room as its first health bar finishes emptying. The Geo Wolf lets out a vicious roar that quakes the ground and leaves the pair fighting to maintain balance. The wolf charges at Sora, barrelling straight into the boy in order to knock him down. Sachi lunges with her spear, pushing Geo Wolf away from Sora and distracting it from him long enough for him to get back on his feet. The Geo Wolf clamps down on Sachi's spear and tosses it aside, leaving her unarmed for the moment.

“Looks like you could use a little help.” Sora stabs the Geo Wolf in its left hind leg, just as Sachi plunges one of her own knives into the beast's right eye. As Sora kicks Sachi's spear to her, he growls at Asuna.

“Back off! We don't need you getting in our way.” He stabs at the Geo Wolf again, aiming to distract it while Sachi reclaims her Giant's Needle, but the Geo Wolf doesn't appear to be so easily fooled. It ignores the damage it sustains from Sora in order to snap at Sachi, keeping her away from her weapon. Asuna's voice carries an unconvinced tone that irritates Sora.

“You're both going to die here. You realise that, right? But if you agree to join the Knights of the Blood Oath, I don't mind helping you out.” Sora's patience, already stretched thin by the battle, approaches breaking point.

“Just shut up you conceited moron! Why would we ever want to join anyone who just stands by and watches people getting hurt anyway? You're just a coward!” He rushes forwards, drawing level with Geo Wolf's face and unleashes a Vorpal Strike at point blank range. This has the desired effect of distracting the Geo Wolf from Sachi, but at the apparent cost of enraging the beast. It shoves Sora's shield aside with its snout before pushing at him with its front paws, the weight of the wolf throwing Sora off-balance. The Geo Wolf spins around and slams Sora in the chest-plate with its tail, driving the wind from his lungs. As soon as Sora hits the ground, the Geo Wolf stops abruptly and raises its mace-like tail upwards, clearly intending to bring it down upon Sora's head. Sora's Frost Maiden glows bright yellow as he prepares a Sword Skill. A white and red blur slams into the side of the Geo Wolf, resolving itself to reveal Asuna, who follows up her Vorpal Strike with a slash that precedes three extremely high-speed thrusts. As soon as her post-motion delay wears off, she uses Linear as well to push the Geo Wolf back.

“Guess I'll just have to jump in instead since you're going to question my courage. You know, if you'd just join with the Knights of the Blood Oath, you'd never get into scrapes like this.” Sora aborts his Sword Skill and throws his shield at the Geo Wolf as it tries to make an attack, before rushing in and dealing a brutal upwards slash to the wolf's chin that forces it to stand on its hind legs for a moment. Sachi dashes forwards to make three rapid thrusts with her spear, knocking the Geo Wolf to the ground. 

“We don't _need_ your help, and we will never join your guild. Stop wasting everyone's time and get out of here, before you get yourself killed.” Asuna's response is drowned out by the Geo Wolf's enraged roar, but this time both Sora and Sachi are prepared for it, and keep their balance perfectly. Sora intercepts the wolf, using Sonic Leap to slam it back into the ground, though it regains its footing almost immediately once more. Sachi makes two powerful spinning slashes that draw the Geo Wolf's attention, distracting it from Sora who moves in close. He performs his Lateral Pentagram skill, and the Geo Wolf bursts into polygons. Sora drinks a potion to restore his health, while Sachi retrieves Sora's shield.

“Like I said, we don't need you. Nebula and I adapt to bad situations quickly, and we force an opening through brute strength and sheer speed. Nebula's sharp mind lets him formulate battle strategies on-the-fly that most other people would never think of at all, let alone as quickly as he can. You're just a third wheel, Asuna, so take a hike.” Asuna shows no signs of complying, but instead seems annoyed with Sachi's statement and closing suggestion.

“Wow, talk about ungrateful. After I went and saved Nebula as well.” Sora looks indignant.

“You saved me? Is that what you think? Talk about ignorant. I have a defensive Sword Skill that is activated from a prone position, and it would have dealt quite the shocking blow to that Geo Wolf. Instead, you jumped in and placed yourself in danger. You forced me to improvise on my plan in order to stop that thing from tearing you apart. You didn't save me. _I_ saved _you_. You're just too stupid to see that. Considering you're the second-in-command of the Knights of the Blood Oath, and the one handling their battle strategies, I would have thought you'd learn to pay more attention to your surroundings. Evidently not. I don't appreciate having you messing up my plans. You're lucky I'm me, otherwise you'd be dead by now.” Asuna's expression grows furious.

“So you two aren't just offensively ungrateful, but delusional as well? You never stop underestimating me, yet you have the nerve to criticize me for being foolish? For lacking awareness? You're both hypocrites.” Asuna holds her Rapier aggressively, and moves forwards with clear intention of fighting. Sora spots the danger and tries to provide a warning.

“Wait! Stop!” Asuna ignores Sora's shout, and steps on a barely visible sigil carved into the ground. The sigil glows bright blue, as do the three occupants of the room. Blinding blue light obscures their vision for a moment, before fading away to reveal a much larger chamber, lit by balls of fire sat atop jagged pillars. Sachi looks about herself fearfully.

“Was that a Teleport Trap? Where did it send us?” Sora looks around, and the realisation sinks in.

“The worst possible place for three unprepared players: The Boss Room.” As if in response to Sora's words, a monstrosity of a beast spawns into existence: A towering six-metre-tall canine, looking vaguely like a heavily muscular Pitbull, but with pitch black fur accentuated with blood red markings, piercing yellow eyes with crimson rings around the pupils, and sabre teeth measuring twenty five centimetres in length. The claws on its feet bear razor-like edges, and an array of jagged spikes run along the monster's spine, in three haphazard columns. A pair of thick, curved horns extend over the eyes, not unlike those of a bull, but with barbed tips. Four health bars appear, and the Boss' name: Gramus the Hell Hound. Sachi and Asuna both reach for their Teleport Crystals, as Gramus lets out a deafening roar, sounding like an avalanche. Sora sees Sachi try to use the crystal, but her voice is silent. Only then does Sora see the Status Effect Icon next to his health bar. _Silencing. Oh God no. Without the ability to talk, we can't use Teleport Crystals. We can't escape. Our only option is to fight, at least until the effect wears off. I just hope I can keep Sachi alive long enough for that_. Gramus races towards Sora with a speed that defies its size and hefty build, leaving the boy with barely enough time to activate a Sword Skill. His Shield Flip hardly even moves Gramus, but it is just enough to prevent its attack from hitting. Sora retaliates with a swift Horizontal Arc, before dancing on his feet as Gramus charges towards him once more. Sora spins on the spot, adding his weight to the momentum he builds up, before swinging his shield with all his might. The shield strikes Gramus' snout and slams its head to one side, giving Sora the opportunity to dash between its legs and aim a sequence of five upward slashes that trace out a pentagram. Gramus roars furiously and tries frantically to kick and slash at Sora, who darts around and swings his shield, trying to keep himself from being hit. It is an exhausting task though, and Sora soon realises that it won't be enough. _This isn't working. I just can't move quickly enough to keep up with Gramus. Not using this shield anyway. I've done well to keep this a secret until now, but I have no other choice. If I'm going to survive against Gramus, I'm going to need to use Dual Blades_. Sora dances back a few paces to get a bit of breathing room, before leaping towards Gramus, his sword glowing blue as he raises it over his right shoulder. He uses Sonic Leap to slam Gramus into the ground, before foot-stooling from the boss' hindquarters. He twists in mid-air as he hurls his shield at Gramus, who leaps up and catches the shield like a frisbee. With a single bite boasting phenomenal force, Gramus crunches the shield out of existence. As Sora lands, he switches his Frost Maiden to his left hand, while drawing out Shadowbane with his right, revealing a one-hand flame-bladed longsword with a pale gold blade and a silver cruciform hilt wrapped with azure wire, and a dazzling platinum teardrop pommel. Asuna looks at Sora curiously. _Dual-wielding? I've seen players attempt it, but since they can only activate one-hand Sword Skills, it is ultimately worthless. Does Nebula not realise this?_ She watches in shock as Sora's swords both glow pale green as Gramus lunges at him. Sora evades the attack before releasing his Sword Skill, performing two full spins while slashing with both swords simultaneously. He swords then glow deep blue as the boy races up behind Gramus and leaps into the air, executing a diagonal crossing slash from top to bottom, and another from bottom to top. He darts around, performing numerous slashes at a noticeably higher speed than he was capable of earlier. As Gramus tries to swipe at Sora, he blocks the attack with both blades, further shocking Asuna. _I... don't believe it. He's using Sword Skills that cater specifically to the usage of two swords. I've never heard of any kind of ability like this before. Even so, it's not going to be enough. He's whittling away at Gramus' health for now, but once the attack patterns change, he'll be in danger. Patience, Asuna. Your opening will present itself soon. When it does, show them the power of your newest Sword Skill. Show them why they_ do _need you, and the Knights of the Blood Oath_. Asuna begins to edge closer and closer to the battle, carefully watching for the opportune moment, while Sora races about as quickly as possible. The boy sticks to using only Sword Skills with very small combos, three hits at the most, and with very short post-motion delays in order to minimise his vulnerability. It doesn't take long for Gramus to be dropped to his second health bar, while the boss is only able to deal negligible damage, if any at all. As Gramus' second health bar drops to about half empty, Sora makes his first mistake. While making a vicious crossing slash, he fails to notice Gramus digging its paws in, rooting itself in place. The boss swipes powerfully with its head, gouging at Sora with its horns and slamming him aside. Sora stumbles as he loses his footing, and falls to the ground as his health bar depletes by a third. Sachi gasps in fright, oblivious to the disappearance of her Silencing marker.

“Sora!” She rushes towards her brother. Asuna races in as well, but she targets Gramus. She unleashes a brutal Vorpal Strike into Gramus' left hind leg, before her Rapier glows with a silver-white light. She performs three rapid thrusts to Gramus' knee, before slashing twice low down, close to the paw. Another two rapid thrusts strike high and low, before a final, powerful thrust is delivered to the exact point her Vorpal Strike had landed. The damage dealt by Asuna's Star Splash is virtually non-existent, but its effect is far from that. Gramus turns on Asuna furiously and slams her with its head, the horns going either side of her slender body, though the impact still knocks her back a considerable distance. Asuna tries to break wide and get around Gramus, but the boss intercepts her with surprising speed and takes a swipe at her, barely missing. She tries to push back with sheer strength, thrusting for the eyes and throat with every quick Sword Skill she possesses, but her damage output is far too low for Gramus to notice, allowing it to relentlessly shepherd her towards the sheer rock walls. She looks to Sora and Sachi desperately.

“Don't just stand there! Do something!” Sachi equips her Great Dragon-hook and takes a step forwards, before Sora halts her. She looks at him questioningly.

“Sora?” The boy takes a few steps forwards, before calling to Asuna.

“I'll make you a deal, Asuna. We'll come to your rescue, this time, but _only_ on the condition that you will give up on trying to merge the Moonlit Black Cats with the Knights of the Blood Oath. Give us your word on that, and we'll help you. Until you do though, you're on your own.” Asuna looks at Sora incredulously as she dodges a vicious swipe from Gramus, still being pushed backwards. _Is he serious? He's going to force a condition upon me like that? Damn kid! If I could just break free... but I can't. My attacks don't have enough force, and I can't move fast enough to slip past without being ripped in half_. Asuna cries out in frustration.

“Alright! I give you my word!” Sora nods to Sachi, and the pair race towards Gramus, with Sora leading the way. His swords glow crimson as he charges up a Sword Skill, which he releases right behind Gramus' left hind leg. He opens with a brutal horizontal slash from left to right with Shadowbane, the momentum sending him into a spin. Sora makes four complete revolutions, slashing once diagonally from top left to bottom right with both swords on each revolution. He digs his heels in at the end of the last revolution, momentum carrying both swords towards his right hip. Gramus turns on Sora as the boy's post-motion delay wears off. Sora's swords glow emerald green as he makes a devastating slash with both swords simultaneously, from right to left, and unleashing a blast of wind at the end of the strike which knocks Gramus off-balance.

“Switch!” Sachi leaps over Sora and dashes forwards as Gramus starts to recover, before throwing herself into a spin. She executes a sequence of six high-speed sweeping slashes at varying heights, but always going from left to right. After the sixth slash, Sachi hops forwards while carrying her momentum, adding her weight to it to slam Gramus in the side of the jaw with the tsuba, the vicious impact seeming to daze Gramus momentarily. Sachi takes the opportunity to sheer off its right horn, and make a swift jab at its right eye with the spiked end of her Naginata. She senses Gramus preparing to retaliate, so retreats back.

“Switch!” Sora races in low and fast as Gramus lunges forwards, jaws wide open. Sora makes a scissoring slash from bottom to top that catches Gramus beneath the jawbone, the force of the impact rearing it up slightly. Sora's blades glow cerulean as he performs another Sword Skill, executing six slashes that trace out a hexagon of light, which then blasts outwards. While Gramus reels from the onslaught, Sora makes one more brutal upwards slash that severs Gramus' left sabre tooth.

“Switch!” As Sora falls back, he notices that Gramus' health has just dropped to the final bar, and a sense of dread fills him. He calls out to Sachi as she races forwards.

“Defence!” Sachi reacts instantly, digging her heels in and raising her Naginata to block, but Gramus' swiping attack carries phenomenal force that sends Sachi flying and erasing half of her health. 

“Sachi!” The sight of Sachi being injured awakens a primal fury within Sora, and his irises turn blood red. He rushes in recklessly as Gramus charges towards Sachi. Sora snarls viciously as he intercepts Gramus with a high-speed slash, followed by seven more slashes, each one faster than the last. Sora pushes himself to strike faster and faster as Gramus is driven back by the onslaught. _I need to go faster! I'll kill this filthy mongrel with the most powerful skill I possess, but I must increase my speed before I can use it!_ Sora continues to up the tempo, slashing faster and faster until it becomes impossible to keep up with. After the ninth rapid slash, Sora's blades glow light blue. _NOW!!_ Sora opens the Sword Skill with a powerful slash from left to right with Shadowbane, before making a vicious upwards slash with Frost Maiden. He uses the momentum from this strike to leap upwards, where he spins clockwise twice, slashing from left to right with both swords on each revolution. He lands facing Gramus and makes a crossing slash from top to bottom, before inverting the attack and slashing from bottom to top. Sora leaps towards Gramus, making a diagonal slash downwards and to the left with Frost Maiden that starts from the middle of Gramus' throat, before making a diagonal slash upwards and to the right with Shadowbane that starts from the same point. He reverses his grip on his swords before making another crossing slash from top to bottom. Sora lunges forwards in a counter-clockwise spin while slashing with both swords, tracing out a spiral, like a corkscrew, before reverting his swords to normal grip once more. He makes another crossing slash from top to bottom, and from bottom to top as well, before making a diagonal slash from top right to bottom left with Shadowbane that sends him into another counter-clockwise spin. Sora uses the momentum to fuel a powerful slash from right to left with Frost Maiden. He then slashes upwards with Shadowbane, then again with Frost Maiden, before bringing Shadowbane back down with a vertical slash, and Frost Maiden with a diagonal slash to the right that fuels another clockwise spin. Sora slashes diagonally downward to the right with Frost Maiden again, before thrusting with Shadowbane. Sora puts all of his strength into the final hit of the Sword Skill: a lunge forwards and downwards with Frost Maiden. Gramus whimpers in pain, before bursting into polygons. Sora breathes heavily for a few moments as his anger bleeds away, while a wave of concern sets in that causes his eyes return to their normal colour.

“Sachi!” He runs over to his sister, discarding his swords as he crouches beside her and extracts a red crystal.

“Heal!” Sachi's health bar fills up completely, though she looks shaken up all the same. Sora's anxiety refuses to abate.

“Are you alright, Onē-chan?” Sachi nods, hiding her fatigue as the adrenaline surge starts to fade away.

“Mm. I'm okay. I'm better than that, and it's all thanks to you. I hadn't sensed Gramus' attack, but you did. You warned me of the danger in time for me to defend against it. A swipe like that would probably have killed me if you hadn't told me to defend. Then you protected me from Gramus again. You really pushed yourself at the end there. Are you okay after that?” Sora waves aside the concern.

“There's no need to worry about me. I'm a frontline fighter, so I'm _supposed_ to go on a rampage like that. Still, I'll feel better once we get out of here and get back to the others. Guess that means we're taking a brief trip to Floor 21 then.” He stands, and helps Sachi to her feet as well, before reclaiming his swords. He sheaths Frost Maiden, but leaves Shadowbane drawn as his protective instinct nags him about potential dangers. The pair walk towards the staircase at the far end of the Boss Room, forcing Asuna to catch up with them. Asuna clearly has questions that she wants answers to, and wastes no time in asking them.

“What the hell was that back there? How were you able to use Sword Skills for dual-wielding?” Sora barely pays any attention to Asuna, his only concern being his sister.

“After the fight against Jorōgumo, I discovered I'd unlocked something called a Unique Skill. I don't know how I did it, so don't bother asking. What I _do_ know is that it's called Dual Blades, and it lets me use Sword Skills that are specifically designed for dual-wielding. It's a good skill, boosting my attack speed, weapon defence and cool-down reduction. It was the only way to beat Gramus the Hell Hound. That thing moved far too quickly for me to keep up with any other way. I needed the attack speed boost in order to even the odds and to distract Gramus from Sachi. I'm not strong enough to protect her with my normal equipment setup.” Asuna looks distant for a moment. _Unique Skill? It's strange, but I'm sure I've heard that term before. Didn't Commander Heathcliff mention them once? And now Sora actually has one. Dual Blades; the power to use Sword Skills purposely tailored for dual-wielding. Hard to believe a skill like that ended up in the hands of a kid like him_. Asuna frowns as she notices something strange about Sora's statement.

“Wait, you've had this skill since Floor 18? How come you've never used it in a major fight since then? We could have really used that skill-” Sora cuts her off.

“ _That's_ the reason. That attitude. I am more than just a skill, more than just a weapon, but if it gets out that I have this Unique Skill, that's all people will see me as. A weapon. An object. A tool to be used when needed and discarded when not. I am not an object, and I will not be treated as such. I will decide where and when I use Dual Blades. No-one knows the skill better than I do, so no-one knows when to use it better than I do. I'm not going to waste it on small fry, like that Hound of Desolation. I didn't even use my best sword against that mongrel, since it would have been a waste of durability. Besides, as I said to Tetsuo that day: I need to let other people get special bonuses, and exp. If you use me as a weapon, I'll be the one getting all the rewards and all the exp. Everyone else will end up poorly equipped, under-levelled, and dead. What happens if I get killed in a Boss Fight that no-one else is prepared for? What happens if Teleport Crystals can't be used? The entire raid group would be wiped out, and those deaths would be on the hands of the people who chose to treat me like an item. Of course, no-one will actually blame them, they'll only blame me. Why blame the shooter when you can blame the gun? It's easier to blame the dead than blame the living, and it's easier to point blame than admit responsibility. That's just the way people are, but as long as they _are_ like that, I'll continue to hide my Dual Blades, as much as possible. I only used them here because I had no other choice, and whose fault is that?” Asuna flinches as she feels Sora's aggression spiking.

“Wh-What's that supposed to mean?” Sora fixes Asuna with a fearsome glare.

“I told you to stop, but you ignored me and set off the Teleport Trap that sent us into the Boss Room. You were too busy trying to defend your bruised ego. Hell, you shouldn't have even followed us into this labyrinth, but you decided to anyway, and you made a mess of a simple mapping expedition. You very nearly got Sachi and I killed. Do not underestimate just how furious I am with you for endangering my sister like that. The next time you follow us out into the field, I _will_ attack you, without warning or hesitation. I will not let you be a threat to the people I care about most.” Asuna falls back a little way, recoiling from Sora's sheer hostility, though her mind quickly becomes lost in thought. _Sister? They're related? But I thought SAO was only being sold one copy per household? They must have found some way around it then. Perhaps they don't live together... but that seems wrong to me. I don't think that's the case. Was it trickery then? Or was there some other way in which they were both able to play together? Whatever the case, this makes for a very interesting situation. I've always wondered why those two were so good at Switching, now I know. They're the pinnacle members of the Black Cats. I've been looking at this the wrong way. There's no need for them all to join the Knights of the Blood Oath. I just need those two. I just need to figure out how to do it_. Rays of orange light strike Asuna as the sun sinks towards the horizon. It takes Asuna a few moments to realise that she is standing in a forest, not far from Sachi and Sora. Sachi lets out a low whistle.

“I think this might be my favourite Floor so far, even just from this view. It certainly makes up for the past few floors that have been dreary, depressing or devoid of life. I get the feeling that this floor will have a good number of peaceful animals around, not just monsters and NPCs.” Sora nods.

“I think you're probably right about the animals, but you haven't seen the monsters yet, so don't get too far ahead of yourself. There could be all kinds of gross or creepy mobs to face. Still, the settlements should all be rather cheerful, I reckon. I get a similar vibe here as I do from the fields around Tolbana. This'll be a good Floor to explore, I feel.” Asuna looks around.

“I wonder which way the Teleport Gate is. I'd like to get that activated as soon as possible, then return to report in. Commander Heathcliff will be pleased to know that Floor 20 has been cleared already, though I'd prefer to go back with more good news than just that.” Sora peers at Asuna suspiciously, a sense of foreboding blooming to life within him.

“What kind of good news were you hoping for?” Asuna turns away from them, placing her hands behind her back.

“Well, I think Heathcliff would be most satisfied to learn that two new players would be joining us. The Moonlit Black Cats won't merge with us, and we don't need them to. We just need their two aces. I-” An explosion of pain cuts her off as a phenomenal impact strikes her lower spine, throwing her to the ground. She is kicked over onto her back, where she sees an enraged Sachi standing over her with an orange player cursor, wielding her Great Dragon-hook. Sachi stamps down on Asuna's chest-plate, pinning her in place, before pressing the barbed spike at the end of her Naginata firmly against Asuna's throat, almost piercing the skin. Sachi's voice is far colder than her contemptuous gaze.

“I knew it was only a matter of time before you went back on your word. That is just one of the many problems with you and your guild. Your promises are worthless, even to you. They are never upheld, only broken at a moment's notice. Sora and I will _never_ leave the Moonlit Black Cats. We will _never_ betray our friends for a group of elitist liars. You refuse to listen to reason, and you insult us with your arrogance. Grow up, Asuna, before you get yourself and everyone around you killed. Get out of our sight. Use a Teleport Crystal, go back to your precious Heathcliff, and tell him that he will _never_ gain even a single member of the Black Cats. I'd rather die than join you.” Sachi raises her spear just high enough to allow Asuna to extract a Teleport Crystal.

“Teleport: Ralberg.” Asuna vanishes into blue-white light. After a few moments, Sachi relaxes a little. She turns to Sora apologetically.

“I'm sorry about that. I'm sorry you had to see me get angry like that.” Sora shakes his head.

“It's okay. I felt like doing that, too. I'd like to say that she'll back off now, but I highly doubt it. I mean, I nearly killed her in our duel the other day, and I let her get backed into a corner by Gramus, and yet she still insists on pushing for a merger. If we give her enough time, she might come to see the flaws with her guild, but until then; this isn't over. That's what worries me. Not that she'll hound us continually, or someone else from her guild for that matter. It's Keita that worries me.” Sachi frowns.

“Keita? Why?” Sora looks deeply troubled.

“When Asuna first proposed the merger, Keita was all for it. He even tried to persuade us to sign off on the proposal. It took us pointing out all the problems to get him to see why we were against it. Even so, I'm not convinced that he'll stay on our side in this matter. If we get hounded enough, then sooner or later Keita will be convinced to merge once more, and he may even be tricked into merging us without consultation.” Sachi nods knowingly.

“I see. You have a point there, actually. Keita has a pretty bad track record on that count. Even after he got scammed by a persistent fraudster, he continues to be vulnerable to continuous propositioning. Sooner or later, he'll crack and give in. I guess we'll just have to keep an eye on him then, and make sure he doesn't get propositioned any more. I wonder... we've all gotten used to having Keita as our leader. Maybe it's time for that to change.”

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**March 3rd 2023 – 2106 AST  
Floor 11 – Taft**

Sora leans against the stone wall of a storm drain, listening to the rushing water only a metre away. _That was far closer than I want a battle to be ever again. Gramus was so fast, and so strong as well. Even with Dual Blades, I wasn't strong enough to kill it by myself. I still need to get so much stronger. As long as we're on the frontlines with the Clearers, I'll have to keep on pushing myself, forcing my limits to increase in line with my strength, my speed, and my stamina. I can't let Sachi take that much damage ever again_. Soft footsteps pad closer, barely audible over the flowing water. Sora looks over to see Argo approaching with a mischievous smile.

“You look so adorable when yer lost in thought, ya know that, right? So wha' does my favourite client have fer me today?” Sora pushes himself away from the wall.

“A full map of Floor 20's Labyrinth, including the Boss Room, and info on all monsters within, including the Boss. On top of that, I have a little bit of information on Floor 21 as well.” Argo flinches.

“Wh-What?! You two bea' a Floor Boss by yerselves? I-I mean... I know you killed Nerius by yerself, bu' tha' was Floor 3. Are ya outta yer mind?” Sora shakes his head.

“No, I'm perfectly sane, we just didn't have any other choices. Sachi and I were followed, by that moron; Asuna. She butted in on the sub-boss fight, and ended up triggering a Teleport Trap that sent us into the Boss Room. There, the Boss used a skill that inflicted the Silencing status effect on us. We couldn't use Teleport Crystals. We had to fight, at least until the effect wore off, but Asuna made a mess of things once more. We rescued her, reluctantly, before Sachi and I put an end to the Boss. I had to use Dual Blades to do it though. Whether or not Asuna tells anyone about that is beyond me, but I hope not.” Argo still looks stunned.

“Good God! Tha' must've been one hell o' a fight then, if you were forced to use Dual Blades. I know ya wanted to avoid usin' tha' publicly fer as long as possible, but to use it _now_ means ya didn' have any other choice. I haven' had many dealings wi' Asuna, and never directly at any rate, so I can' assess the validity o' yer evaluation o' her intelligence. I trust wha' you say though, and she _must_ be an idiot if she screwed up a simple mapping expedition. I'll have to sniff around, see wha' I can dig up on 'er. Yer gonna want info on 'er, I assume?” Sora nods.

“Yes, but not just her. I need to know more about the Knights of the Blood Oath. I know enough to know that they're dangerous, I just need to get a clear read on exactly _how_ dangerous they really are. Especially since they've set their sights on getting us to merge with them.” Argo's shock is renewed.

“Merge the Black Cats wi' the Knights o' the Blood?! Tha' might jus' be the dumbest idea I've ever heard! The Black Cats are the most powerful small guild. Yer strong because ya know each other personally, in the real world. You guys are closer than most families. Meanwhile the Knights are a patchwork group o' elite Lone Wolves, half o' whom got kicked outta other guilds for bad behaviour. Merging two such dissimilar guilds isn' jus' dangerous, it's suicide!” Sora shrugs.

“We've told Asuna as such, but she doesn't seem to be very quick on the uptake. Even if _she_ comes to accept the truth, there'll be other commanders seeking to take over for her in trying to persuade us. I wouldn't mind, but Keita's got a pretty weak will, a weak spine too, and a bad track record of being hoodwinked. Right now, the future of the Black Cats is looking more than a little uncertain for my liking.” Argo is silent for a little while.

“So what'll ya do in the meantime?” Sora clenches his fist resolutely.

“The same thing I always do: Protect my friends and my family, no matter who or what I have to beat down to do it. Beyond that, I'm not sure. I'm still trying to devise plans for that, but unexpected events keep setting me back.” Argo notices Sora's expression, and opts to try lightening the mood.

“Well, I'm sure you'll succeed. I guess this means I'll be headin' up to Floor 20 now then. I like to stick close to the frontlines when sellin' information. It's only when I'm buyin' it that I drop back.” Sora changes his tone.

“I wouldn't recommend that if I were you. Floor 20 is not your scene.” Argo raises an eyebrow.

“Why not?” Sora answers flatly.

“It's overrun with dogs.” Argo shudders uncomfortably.

“On second thoughts, maybe Floor 21 would be better.” Sora shrugs.

“Well, the town of Solaria is pretty nice. Kinda like Tolbana but better, if you ask me. More alive. Just steer clear of Sunshine Forest, unless you like giant Praying Mantises that is.” Argo ponders this.

“Well, I'd rather face 'em than slobbering dogs. Solaria it is then. Thanks fer the info, kid. Yer a real life-saver, ya know that? I don' know where I'd be withou' the Black Cats.”

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**March 3rd 2023 – 2214 AST  
Floor 21 – Solaria – Solstice Inn**

Sora opens a door and steps into a large, rustic room. A fresh breeze rolls in through the open window. He barely gets to cross the threshold before Keita seizes upon him with questions, his expression showing concern and confusion battling for supremacy.

“Sora! What happened to you two? Sachi won't tell us anything, not even why she has an orange cursor. She just insisted on waiting until you returned. What's going on?” Sora raises a hand to silence Keita, his expression showing mild irritation.

“If you'd shut up for a minute, I'll be able to tell you. I really could do without the barrage of questions. Let me close the door so that the whole inn doesn't hear this, then I'll explain what happened.” Keita relents, taking his seat at a round table against the left hand wall, where Ducker, Tetsuo and Sasamaru also sit. Sachi is nowhere to be seen. Sora closes the door, before taking a solitary chair near the window.

“I think the best way to describe it is with that expression Ducker taught me: FUBAR. It's my fault things turned out that way as well. From the moment Sachi and I set out, I was aware that Asuna was following us. I didn't take any action, I thought things might actually work out better if I left her alone. I knew she was planning on trying to rescue us to try and prove a point, and I knew we wouldn't need her to. I figured that she'd get herself into trouble, and we'd rescue her on the condition that she drops the merger. Well, that's what happened, but not in the way I wanted it to. Everything was fine until we encountered the sub-boss: Geo Wolf. It was well within our capabilities to kill it, but Asuna misread the situation and interfered. I had to improvise on my plan in order to stop her getting hurt, but she was too stubborn to see the truth of the matter. She has all the perception of a brick. Things got heated after we killed Geo Wolf, to the point where Asuna moved to fight us. In the process, she set off a Teleport Trap that sent us to the Boss Room.” Sora pauses for a moment to catch his breath before continuing.

“Gramus the Hell Hound... one of the most aptly named monsters I've seen so far. That demonic flea-bag had a skill that inflicted Silencing on us. We couldn't use Teleport Crystals, so we had to fight. We had to fight to stay alive, and try to warp out once Silencing wore off. That was the plan, but Asuna screwed it up again. She got herself backed into a corner. I managed to get her to give her word on abandoning this stupid merge, then Sachi and I rescued her.” Sora pauses again, his expression beginning to show tiredness, though he seems oblivious to it as he resumes his report.

“Silencing... it's a very tricky status effect, but we were winning the fight, so it seemed safer to keep fighting than to try and Teleport away. We didn't want to get hit with Silencing again, you know? So we kept on fighting, and winning. We were absolutely destroying it... and then it dropped to the last health bar. I sensed the danger and warned Sachi. As strong as she is, and as good as her equipment is, she still lost half her health in that one, single hit... and I just lost it. I went berserk. How I was against Nerius and Jorōgumo... that was tame compared to me today. I used a 21-hit Sword Skill to finish off Gramus, before healing Sachi. We left the dungeon, went up to Floor 21... and that's when Asuna decided to go back on her word. Not in its entirety of course. This time she sought only to recruit Sachi and I.” Sora shakes his head, feigning a bemused expression to try and mask his ire.

“As if we'd ever leave the Black Cats. You guys are like family to us, a concept Asuna cannot seem to grasp. It was Sachi's turn to lose her cool. It's not as bad as her cursor suggests, though. She knocked Asuna to the ground, pinned her down, held her at the barbed tip of the Great Dragon-hook, and gave Asuna one heck of a stern lecture. That's all it was... but beating some sense into an idiot still counts as attacking a player, so Sachi's going to be orange for a few days, and that's about all there is to it. I spoke with Argo, and she says she'll dig up any info she can find on those Knights of the Blood Oath creeps. Even if Asuna backs off, the other commanders might not. We need to know exactly who we're dealing with, and how to deal with them. If we go into things unprepared, it'll get messy. Though I can't guarantee that it won't be messy even _with_ the information we need.” Sasamaru growls, showing a hint of anger.

“I don't know what's worse: the fact that Asuna is trying to take you two away from us for her own selfish purposes, or that she placed you both in such grave danger while pursuing this foolish merge of hers. How are you feeling now, Sora? It sounds like it was a very difficult battle, if you had to reveal your Dual Blades in front of someone as untrustworthy as Asuna. A 21-hit combo as well... that must have been demanding, right?” Sora waves aside the concern.

“I'm okay, Sasaki-kun. More than anything I'm just worn out. I had to push myself beyond my limits. I've never been so swift in a fight before, but it was necessary to use that Sword Skill. I was so angry as well. When Gramus hurt Sachi... all I could feel was anger, and I focused all of it on that wretched pup. It was only once I'd killed it that I was able to feel anything else at all. I'm still feeling the adrenaline even now though, so the exhaustion might hit me once the surge wears off completely.” Keita nods.

“I see now. You should get some rest. Sachi's waiting for you in the room on your left, I'm sure she'll be relieved to see you again. We'll talk things over in the mean time, try to decide what to do about the Knights of the Blood Oath.” Sora stands, and heads to the nearest closed door. He only makes it a few steps, before the world tumbles around him. He doesn't even feel himself falling, before smashing his head against the wall.

“Sora!” It isn't clear who cried out, but Sora hears a door opening, and Sachi's fearful voice.

“Sora! What's wrong?” Sora groans as pain pulses through him, while Sachi tries to raise him up a little.

“I guess the adrenaline finally wore off. Damn! I pushed myself harder than I thought I did. I'll be okay soon enough, but now I see I need to get stronger still. If I collapse this easily, I'm just going to let everyone down. That's dangerous. I need to keep getting stronger, much much stronger. The frontlines will only get more and more dangerous. I can't protect you all the way I am now.” Sachi speaks resolutely.

“Then we'll pull back from the frontlines.” She turns to Keita before continuing.

“We have to ease up on our progress. We can't keep going on like this, it's not healthy. Sora's been affected already. He's the most active, and fights the hardest, but if we stay on the frontlines it'll get to the rest of us as well. We need to take a break from Clearing so that we can recover our strength and develop at a steadier pace. We can't rush through any more, it's just too dangerous for that.” Keita nods in agreement.

“You're right. We'll pull back from the frontlines for now, and rejoin the Clearers when we're ready to do so. We'll let them get a little way ahead of us, and train in areas that have already been cleared. It means missing out on Boss loot, but I'd rather do that than lose any one of you. I'm sure the other Clearers will understand as well. They've also seen just how hard Sora pushes himself.” Sachi smiles faintly.

“Thanks, Keita.” She helps Sora to his feet, and supports him into the bedroom, where she lowers him onto the bed. He winces, but doesn't show the extent of his condition.

“I'm sorry, Onē-chan.” Sachi shakes her head.

“You've got nothing to apologise for. The only one who should be sorry is Asuna. She was the one who trapped us in the Boss Room, and forced you to go beyond your limits. You used a lot of powerful Sword Skills as well, and System Assist only does so much for us. Those Skills must have taken a lot out of you.” Sora nods weakly.

“Yeah... I guess you're right. The first Skills I used were fine, just tiny combos with short post-motion delays. I could handle those. It was when we stepped in to save Asuna that things got tiring. Inferno Raid; that 9-hit combo... was pretty tough on me. Trying to suppress dizziness in battle isn't easy. The 7-hit Locus Hexedra wasn't too bad over all, but still a little tiring. It was the last one that took its toll on me. Starburst Stream. For a 21-hit combo, it really sucks. I mean, you have to build up so much speed before you can even activate it, but even the skill itself isn't that great. Those vertical slashes were lacklustre, there was a lot of spinning involved, the thrusts were pretty rubbish too, and don't even get me started on that corkscrew attack in the middle. Whoever designed that skill is an idiot. It's a relentless forward push, but I suppose it's frantic and damaging enough to put bosses in a tight spot. Still, it needs an awful lot of improvement. I only unlocked it last night and never tested it. I wish I had now. I wouldn't be in this state if I'd known just what Starburst Stream was like to use. I never want to use it again, that's for sure.”

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**March 4th 2023 – 0003 AST  
Floor 19 – Ralberg – Knights of the Blood Oath Headquarters**

Asuna stands before a tall, muscular middle-aged man with steel grey hair, who wears mostly red armour with white accents to it. The man studies Asuna curiously.

“So, Floor 20 has been cleared already? This is most impressive, though the circumstances behind its clearance are extraordinary indeed. The Floor 20 Boss, defeated by three under-prepared players. I never expected that. Truly those two Black Cats members are outstanding fighters, and would make an excellent addition to the Knights of the Blood Oath.” Asuna nods solemnly.

“I have no doubts about that, Commander Heathcliff, but getting them to join is starting to look impossible. They do not seem to be capable of being tempted. Even less honourable methods seem likely to fail. It's as if they would rather die than join with us. I can't understand why, and yet they're adamant to remain separate from us, at any cost.” Heathcliff looks unconcerned.

“Have patience, Asuna. We'll win them round in time. The Knights of the Blood Oath is a new guild, whereas they've been together since before guild formation had been unlocked. It's only natural that they would be averse to joining us. We will need to build our reputation as well as our skills, and show those two why joining us will be beneficial. We need to show them the power of the Knights of the Blood Oath, but there is no need to rush just yet. Haste will only be counterproductive.” Asuna remains silent, looking troubled. Heathcliff picks up on this.

“Is there something on your mind? Feel free to speak up.” Asuna hesitates, before complying.

“During the battle against Gramus, Nebula exhibited skills and powers I've never seen or even dreamed of before. In particular, he used something he called a Unique Skill. Dual Blades, is what he said it was.” Heathcliff does well to hide his shock.

“A Unique Skill? Dual Blades... I find this intriguing. Asuna, I want you to find out everything you can about this Nebula. See if you can find anyone who knows about his Dual Blades, and report your findings back to me directly. I'd like to know as much as there is to know about the most promising asset currently in the field.” Asuna bows formally.

“I'll get on it right away.” She turns on her heel and departs, leaving Heathcliff alone with his thoughts. _So... Nebula has a Unique Skill. The Dual Blades skill no less. That means the system has deemed his reflexes to be far in advance of anyone else's. His One-hand Sword proficiency must be well over 200 by now. Agility must be his dominant stat, but with a good level of Strength as well. Very interesting. The player who earns the Dual Blades skill, is supposed to be the Hero of Aincrad, the one who will clear the game. Nebula... are you truly worthy of the Dual Blades? I must know._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Asuna in this chapter wasn't especially easy for me. Somehow I get the feeling there will be many who have forgotten that she wasn't always this fluffy tsundere, that early on she was very stern and intimidating, so those people may well look upon this chapter very poorly. There is little I can do about people looking through rose-tinted lenses, however.
> 
> As mentioned in the notes prior to Chapter One, the Sunshine Forest has been relocated to Floor 21 in this story, with Floor 20 being not unlike Floor 18, just with more dogs and less spiders. It also has a somewhat different Labyrinth to the norm. It has floors, like most Labyrinths do, but once again there is no Gate, but a Teleport Trap instead. This is something else I've seen in RPGs, so I thought it would be good to use that here too.
> 
> While the last chapter focused on Sachi's protectiveness of Sora, this one focuses on Sora's protectiveness of Sachi. We see the first case of Sora's Red Eyes (something which readers of the Destiny's Calling Arc may already be familiar with), and the effects of that state on him. We see more of the side effects to him pushing himself so hard to protect others. Additionally, we see the reason why Sora is so strong, and what it is that motivates him to clear Sword Art Online. Not only do we see Sora being truly angry for the first time here, but Sachi as well. She was upset briefly in the previous chapter, but it is in this chapter that she truly loses her temper.
> 
> Just like the last chapter, we see another incident which casts Keita's role as Guild Leader into doubt, and the question is raised that perhaps it is time for someone else to run the Moonlit Black Cats. As I said in the previous set of notes, this will become important very soon.
> 
> This chapter also sees the first (and only) usage of Starburst Stream. I have no plans to feature it again in the near or distant future. As I said in the Chapter One notes, I used the 21-hit version of the skill, as discribed (more or less) on the Sword Art Online wiki. I hope I did a good job of describing that skill clearly, but the description I was working from wasn't as detailed as I'd hoped for, and so a few parts of the skill seem odd to me. In particular, the corkscrew near the end of the attack. That still strikes me as weird and I have a hard time visualising it, though I can visualise Sora using the rest of the skill very vividly.


	5. Floor 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the Moonlit Black Cats get into a tough situation in the Sunshine Forest, they are helped out by Kirito, who has not been seen by the guild since Illfang. Kirito accepts the invitation to join the Black Cats, becoming their 7th member despite hiding his true level from them. Using his knowledge however, he helps them to level up and get stronger. Kirito notices that Sachi and Sora seem to be distant with him, but the reason for this behaviour is entirely different from what he expected. 
> 
> The Moonlit Black Cats advance to Floor 27 after purchasing a headquarters for their guild on Floor 21. They head to Floor 27's Labyrinth in order to acquire more money and items, where they discover a hidden room. Inside this room, the Moonlit Black Cats face their toughest challenge to date.
> 
> Meanwhile, Sora forms a contract with an exceptionally talented Blacksmith, and Asuna runs into obstacles in her pursuit for knowledge about Sora.

**March 31st 2023 – 1358 JST  
Tokoruzawa Hospital**

Mikoto watches Dr Samson as he checks Sora's life support machines, taking readings and making notes.

“I think this is the longest he's been relatively calm for since this SAO Crisis began. It's been four weeks since his last major incident.” Dr Samson thinks back.

“Ah yes, the March 3rd Incident. I wish I knew what went on that day. Sora's pulse and respiration were through the roof, as were his adrenaline levels. I don't think he was scared though, possibly another intense boss battle. It must have been the worst so far for him to react like that. I've checked around, and only two other patients showed similar readings at the same time that Sora did: Akatsuki, and a patient on the floor below. I've even checked with other hospitals, with negative results. It would seem then that those three got caught in a boss fight together, and by themselves. I don't know how that happened of course. Judging by their reactions, I think it's safe to say it wasn't deliberate. Perhaps Sword Art Online has some form of trapping mechanism that can drop unsuspecting players into a boss fight.” Taro nods at this.

“That's very likely, actually. RPGs commonly have pitfalls and teleport traps that can drop players anywhere, including into boss rooms. It's a good way to keep players on their toes, get them paranoid every time they go to a dungeon. Normally it's harmless. Not so much in SAO, unfortunately.” Dr Samson looks disproving.

“Huh. I would have thought that exploring dungeons and fighting grotesque monsters would have been enough to make players paranoid as it is. Adding traps like that seems like over-kill. What other traps can there be, then? I'm sure Sora will do his best to watch out for them, but that's still going to be tough even for him.” Taro leans back in his chair a little.

“Traps can come in an essentially infinite number of forms. The only limit is the imagination of the developers. There are traps that reduce your movement speed, traps that weaken your armour, traps that limit your senses, traps that prevent escaping. All sorts, really. The worst ones are the type that attack you directly, or indirectly for that matter, types that restrict your combat ability, and types that spawn monsters. My absolute least favourite though are traps that are disguised as innocent items. Treasure chests are the most common disguises, and traps here come in two forms: Mimics, and trapped chests. Mimics are monsters that disguise themselves as treasure chests, and will attack you as soon as you touch them. Many games are programmed so that the Mimic is guaranteed to kill you if you fall prey to it. Trapped chests on the other hand trigger something dangerous: spikes coming up from the floor or down from the ceiling, arrows flying out of the walls, or spawning mob swarms. There's usually a way to identify whether a treasure chest is real or not, but often it's something very small and very easily overlooked, like a slight colour difference. Some games have skills that allow you to detect traps from a distance, and even to disarm traps, but not all of them. Whether or not Sword Art has these skills is beyond me, but I'm sure they'll have every type of trap I've mentioned, and very likely dozens more that I can't even imagine. I just hope Sora and the others are equally alert. Even the most veteran of players can be killed by a well-placed trap of the right nature.”

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**April 7th 2023 – 0814 AST  
Floor 11 – Taft**

Asuna marches purposefully through cobbled streets, her mind focused on the task at hand. _I've asked around, spoken to as many players as I can find, and even to other Info Brokers. All of them attest to the same thing: that Argo is the best of the best for obscure information. She's also confirmed to have done business with Nebula, on more than one occasion. I've never dealt with her personally, but I know about her. I've met her, and spoken to a limited degree. I also know that, at the moment, she's right here, in this town, somewhere. I just need to find her, and barter the information I seek from her. I have nearly one hundred thousand Cor to bargain with. Surely that will suffice_. Asuna descends an embankment and enters into a storm drain, but sees no-one. She wanders deeper in all the same, scrutinising the area carefully, before sighing in disappointment. When she turns around, she sees Argo standing by the entrance, watching Asuna curiously.

“You ought to know it's rude to go followin' a lady around. I might not be a Clearer, but I'll still surprise ya in a fight, or is it somethin' else yer wantin'?” Asuna composes herself before answering.

“Information, of course. I've been told that there's no-one better for that than you, especially when it comes to the little-known things. Finding you has proven difficult, and believe me I've been trying for three weeks.” Argo hides her emotions. _I'm well aware of that, an' I reckon I know wha' she's after_.

“Well, you've heard right. O' course, information ain't free, and I ain't cheap by Broker standards, but then again I have knowledge that most people would die fer. So? What information are ya lookin' fer?” Asuna clenches a fist, holding onto her resolve.

“I need to know more about Nebula. Specifically, I need to know about his Unique Skill, what motivates him to fight, and why he so stubbornly refuses to see reason.” Argo shows no reaction at first. _Bingo. I knew she was lookin' fer this. She's not the only one curious about the kid, but her motives are far from honourable. The rest, they just idolise him. I wouldn' object to sellin' the info to them if my conscience allowed it, but this one? After everythin' I've learned about her so far? I've barely scratched the surface there as well_. Argo leans against the wall.

“I reckon I know everythin' yer after, and more than tha' too. Outside o' the Black Cats, there's only one player who knows more abou' the kid than me, but that's another story.” Asuna looks pleased.

“So you know? How much for the information then?” Argo rubs her chin.

“Well, I reckon a Broker like Korrel would charge around ninety thousand fer the lot, if he knew it all. Me... sorry to say this, but yer barkin' up the wrong tree. The information ain't fer sale. There's no amount o' real money in the world to make me part with tha' knowledge, let alone Cor. Information on Nebula, Sachi, and the rest o' the Black Cats is strictly off-limits.” Asuna falters.

“Wh-what? Why?” Argo sighs wearily.

“The kid's been to the deepest circle o' Hell, and was lucky enough to survive with all 'is marbles in place. Now, he's 'ere in this Death Game. It wouldn' sit righ' wi' me to go blabbering abou' his personal affairs to anyone who throws a few coins at me, least of all a Commander o' the Knights o' the Blood Oath. Yer wasting yer time trying to merge the Black Cats with ya. It ain't gonna happen. It'd be worse fer everyone if ya did anyway. Nebula's a good kid with a terrible past, an' I owe 'im my life. I'm not abou' to repay 'im like this. I won' risk any harm comin' to 'im on my account, so all information on 'im an' on 'is guild is off-limits. I'll take tha' knowledge to the grave wi' me long before I ever even think to sell it. You'll have to find another Broker, not tha' any know anything tha' ya don' already.” Argo walks away before Asuna can say anything else, leaving her stunned on the spot. _Seriously? She won't sell me the info? She makes it sound like Nebula's had a rough past, but so have many people! So he's saved her life as well, so what? What's the point of being an Info Broker if you won't sell info? I can tell she won't change her mind on this, though. Nebula must have a knack for drawing stubborn fools to himself. I'll have to rely on Korrel after all, then. He's built himself as a Rogue, so he should at least be able to learn things about Sora from observation. It's frustrating though. I didn't want to have to form any kind of contract with Korrel. I wanted this to be a one-time exchange, not a lasting engagement. I have better things to do than wait around on reports, but it doesn't look like I have any other choice._

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**April 7th 2023 – 1411 JST  
Floor 21 – Solaria**

Sora watches quietly while a blacksmith repairs his Shadowbane. The blacksmith in question is a female, perhaps the same age as Sachi and the other Black Cats members. She has shortish magenta hair, kind magenta eyes, and small freckles on her cheeks. She wears a red top with puffed sleeves, and a flared red skirt with a white apron over it, giving her the appearance of a maid rather than a blacksmith. Despite her appearance, Sora can see that the girl is exceptionally skilled in her chosen career path. She soon finishes the repairs, and holds out Shadowbane to Sora.

“There we go: good as new!” Sora accepts the sword, and bows appreciatively.

“Thanks, Lisbeth. You're a real life-saver. I'd be in dire straits without you. You're the fourteenth blacksmith I've worked with this year. The others... have all rejected me as a client now.” Lisbeth looks surprised to hear this.

“Thirteen others this year alone? They've all rejected you? What in the world for?” Sora sheaths Shadowbane before speaking.

“They're fed up with me. They hate the way I keep damaging my weapons so much. You've seen it yourself by now. This is the eighth time I've come to you for repairs in just three days. They resent me for that. They say that I'm too reckless with my weapons, that I'm too careless, that I'm monopolising their time and their talents. They complain about me taking up all their time, leaving none for them to do anything else or to serve any other customers, or so they claim. It doesn't matter that I always pay them for their services, and even offering to pay extra doesn't tempt them to keep me as a customer. They're sick of me, so they turn me away in favour of other, less frequent clients.” Lisbeth shakes her head sadly.

“So they're idiots, is what you're saying. As long as you pay them fairly, what right do they have to complain? Nebula, I may have only known you for three days, but I also hear a lot about you. The Invincible Tank of the Moonlit Black Cats. The Unbeatable Swordsman who defeated Nerius solo. The Champion of the Clearers. You've got more epithets than I've got hairs on my head. It doesn't matter to me if you keep coming back for repairs. I welcome it, because I know how hard you're working to clear this game. The damage to your swords and equipment is evidence of that. Your Shadowbane alone is enough to prove that you're not careless or heavy-handed. A player so poor would not be able to acquire a sword like that so early in the game. I know, how about I become your Contracted Blacksmith?” Sora looks faintly confused.

“Contracted Blacksmith?” Lisbeth nods.

“That's right. It means that, in exchange for a discount to my services, I become your Personal Blacksmith. You come to me and only me for all your smithing needs. Of course, you'll still have to pay, and for making new items I'll need you to acquire the materials, but you'll be guaranteed a Blacksmith who will be glad to see you, regardless of how often, from now until this game is cleared.” Sora looks incredulous.

“Are you sure that's alright with you? I mean, I'll probably see you again before the day is out, and possibly a thousand more times before Christmas. You'll be losing money if you give me a discount, won't you?” Lisbeth shakes her head.

“Not at all. Like you said: you could be here a thousand more times this year. If anything I'll make _more_ money by forming a contract with you, not less. I don't care how many times a client comes to me as long as they pay what I ask and as long as they're not rude. You _do_ pay what I ask, without even trying to haggle, and you're anything but rude. Unlike the other imbeciles you've dealt with, I actually value my clients. So, what do you say?” Sora still seems to be in a state of disbelief, though he feels assured as well.

“Well, if you're sure I won't be a problem for you, then I'd be glad to form this contract with you.” Lisbeth waves aside Sora's concerns.

“Don't worry about it, it's all fine by me. Then it's settled. From now on, I'm your Contracted Blacksmith.” Sora smiles radiantly, delighted by the arrangement. After a while though, an air of anxiety settles around him, something that Lisbeth picks up on.

“Hm? Something worrying you still? If it's about the contract-” Sora shakes his head.

“No, it's not that. I just... was wondering if I could ask a favour. I was wondering if... if you'd take me on as an apprentice. I mean, I'm not looking to do any repair work, not unless you ask me to in a tough situation, like a big order or something. No, I'm more interested in Custom Made Items. You see... Sachi's birthday is coming up soon, so I wanted to make her something for it. I mean, I _could_ buy something, but it's just not the same as a handmade present, you know?” Lisbeth raises an eyebrow.

“Sachi? The Spear Angel? The Unyielding Tank's Personal Bodyguard? What exactly is the relationship between you two anyway, if you don't mind me asking?” Sora answers flatly.

“She's my sister. I know, I know. I already had a NerveGear in the run-up to this game's release. While Sachi was buying her own NerveGear, and getting her copy of the game, a guy who had planned on playing the game himself ended up having a change of heart, and gave me his copy instead. An act of kindness, but I'm sure he's cursing himself for it right now. He unwittingly trapped me in this game, or so he probably believes, but I'm grateful for that. I'm able to protect Sachi in here because of him. I've already saved Diavel back when we fought Illfang, and I've looked after other players as well. If I hadn't been here, maybe they wouldn't have been saved. I try not to think about that though. Instead I focus on fighting as hard as I can, in order to protect my sister, the Black Cats, and everyone else I see in danger.” Lisbeth nods knowingly as the puzzle pieces fall into place.

“I see now, so that's the way it is. A lot of things make sense all of a sudden. Alright, if you really want to be my apprentice, I'll take you on. It might be fun, teaching you. Still, are you sure that your sister will be okay with that? I've heard the rumours of how protective she is of you. Possessive, even. Especially when other girls are involved.” Sora waves dismissively.

“The rumours are not entirely inaccurate, but I'd say I'm more possessive of her than she is of me. It's hard to explain the reason for that though. Besides, those girls only got chased away because they wanted to use me as a mascot, and were trying to treat me like a stuffed toy. If Sachi didn't get rid of them, I would have.” Lisbeth looks faintly intrigued.

“Is that so? Well, if it's fine with you then it's fine with me too. On the subject of favours, there's one I'd like to ask of you, if you can help me with it that is. I'm looking to expand my business options, but I lack the necessary connections for that. Do you think you'd be able to hook me up with a good Item Merchant? I'm also looking for a reliable Info Broker. If you happen to know of any, that is.” Sora nods slowly.

“Sure, I can help with that. If you want an Item Merchant, then I'd definitely recommend Agil. He's just moved into town recently, near the NPC bakery as it happens. He drives a hard bargain, and he's got business instinct like you wouldn't believe, but he's brilliant at looking out for his friends. If you tell him that 'the little man with the big surprises' sent you, then he'll cut you a solid deal. As for the Info Broker-” Sora gets interrupted by an inbox notification, and notices the sender with intrigue.

“Speak of the devil. Do you mind if I take this?” Lisbeth gestures her consent.

“By all means.” Sora reads the message, and his expression darkens.

“Hm. Sounds serious. If you've got some time, I'll introduce you to her now. She's just met with the rest of my guild at the Solstice Inn.” Lisbeth looks surprised.

“Are you sure that's okay? Wouldn't I be in the way?” Sora shakes his head.

“Not at all. By the sounds of things, this may end up involving you as well, so it could be for the best. I doubt that it'll mean serious trouble for you, before you start worrying, but you could find yourself being pestered soon enough.” Lisbeth looks concerned by the remark.

“I see, then in that case I'll come along.” She follows Sora out of her smithy and into the streets of Solaria. She doesn't have to follow him for long before they reach the Solstice Inn, and enter into the room where Argo and the Black Cats are waiting. Argo regards Lisbeth suspiciously, as does Sachi, who speaks up.

“It's not like you to bring a girl home, Nebula. Care to explain?” Sora ignores the faint hostility in Sachi's voice.

“This is Lisbeth, the highly talented Blacksmith I've been telling you about. We've just formed a contract, of sorts, so it looks like I won't have to worry about getting turned away for repairs any more. I'm doing a couple of favours for her as well, to help her out with things. If this meeting is what I think it is, then it's liable to affect Lisbeth as well. You can trust her, I can assure you of that.” Sachi backs down, and Argo's suspicion seems to fade as well. Argo clears her throat as she stands.

“Then I'll get right te the point. I had a run-in wi' Asuna this mornin'. She weren' at all subtle in her methods, or in gettin' at what she were after. She tried bartering wi' me fer information on ya. She wanted to know about yer skills, yer motivations, and why yer so determined to refuse the merger her guild's chasing. I told her nothing, o' course, but tha' won't be the end o' it. She spent three weeks tryin' to track me down. That kinda persistence don' just disappear. She'll go after another Info Broker instead, most likely Korrel since he's a Rogue-type. You'd best be on yer guard. Korrel will be out te hound ya, if she hires him that is. Everything ya do, everything ya look at, every time ya blink, he'll be watchin' you like a hawk. Any contracts or business dealings you make, he'll report it. Korrel's practically a Red Player, too. He's had an orange cursor more than once, so be extra careful in the fields. Make sure ya don' give 'im nothin' he can sell te Asuna, or te anyone else fer that matter.” Sora looks pensive for a few moments. _My instincts were right. Argo was approached by Asuna for info on me, so naturally Argo wanted to inform me of this, especially since Asuna is fishing for some very specific and potentially dangerous information_.

“I see. I'm not at all surprised. I've been waiting for this to happen ever since we killed Gramus. I was right as well, this meeting _will_ affect you, Lisbeth. Asuna works quickly, so by now she will have approached another Info Broker, probably Korrel. Chances are he's in town already, sniffing around for info on me. Whether or not he knows about our contract remains to be seen, but it's safest to assume he does. No doubt he'll try asking you directly about me, as well as loitering around to try and spy on me. Looks like I'll have to rely on the rest of you to keep watch outside whenever I come in for repair work, then. Korrel... I don't know that name. Not a Clearer, and he's never been in a single Boss fight worth a damn, so either he's not confident in his combat ability or else he's ill-equipped for tough fights. Even so, he's bad news, especially out in the fields. If he follows us into a dungeon, he could end up kiting enemies. The main problem though, is that having him follow us into dungeons will prohibit me from using Dual Blades, which could put us in a very very dire position.” Sachi looks at Sora in shock.

“Sora!” Lisbeth looks surprised as well by the revelation.

“Dual Blades? Is that how you go through so much durability on your swords so quickly? Because you're using two at the same time?” Sora realises his blunder, and sags slightly.

“Whoopsie. But yes, that's how I do it. It's a Unique Skill, letting me use Sword Skills that utilise two swords simultaneously. While it's true I've been keeping this skill a secret for nearly two months now, Asuna already knows about it. It's safe to assume that, at the very least, she's told Commander Heathcliff about it. Beyond him though... is anyone's guess.” Lisbeth nods.

“I see. I've always wondered about that. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. I'm not about to go and cause problems for a valued client that I've just formed a contract with. It'd be incredibly bad for business, and my reputation.” Sora smiles appreciatively.

“So that's Korrel summarised. Now I just need to figure out what to do about the Knights of the Blood Oath.” Lisbeth raises an eyebrow.

“So who exactly _are_ the Knights of the Blood Oath? I've only heard very vague rumours so far.” Sora's expression darkens.

“They're a new guild, but already they're one of the three largest, and one of the four most powerful. Currently, the Moonlit Black Cats are still technically stronger, but that won't last much longer. The Knights are made up of elite players, highly skilled and well equipped in their own right, but they're misfits and trouble makers. I'm aware that many of them have been kicked out of other guilds for bad behaviour. Others were former solo players who were lured in by promises of power and access to vital resources. A small percentage of members are from small guilds that were absorbed. The thing is: the Knights are extremely underhanded, and they try to conceal that. Every time a new Floor is opened, the Knights rush in to buy up all the Teleport Crystals, which are the most vital resource for small guilds and solo players. They hold the monopoly, and use that to lure in new members. They tried it with us, too, but we saw through their deception. When we opened up this Floor, we were able to secure three more Teleport Crystals before the Knights showed up to swipe the rest. We have enough for one Crystal each, but that means that if we use any of those Crystals, we'll be short again in future expeditions. That's one of several reasons why the Black Cats have dropped back, behind the Clearers. It's not safe for us to be on the frontlines with so few Teleport Crystals. The Knights know this, so they think that grabbing all the Teleport Crystals will force smaller guilds like ours to merge with theirs, further increasing their numbers and power. They underestimate us, that's for sure.” Lisbeth looks appalled by the news.

“That's disgusting! Do they not realise how many people they're endangering with this underhanded scheme? Do they even care?” Argo speaks up.

“They know, an' I reckon they _do_ care, in their own messed up way, bu' this is the gamble they decided upon. They're bettin' on people being too scared o' dyin' te risk refusin' a merger. The Black Cats are a symbol o' hope fer small guilds though. It's become common knowledge that they've refused te merge, and a lotta people would rather work with the Black Cats than the Knights, mostly because o' Nebula's infamy. Even with the Black Cats pullin' back from the frontlines, there's a lotta players bettin' on the Black Cats to clear the game. Thing is, this game's jus' gettin' harder and harder. People know this, so merging guilds is startin' to look more and more appealing. Many'll steer clear o' the Knights fer now, but that won' last forever. That said, it seems like people prefer to join the Army rather than the Knights or the Divine Dragons. Both are too sketchy fer their own good, but if somethin' were te happen wi' the Army... I don' even wanna think about that, te be honest.” Sachi raises a question weighing on her mind.

“Have you been able to find out much about the commanders of the Knights of the Blood Oath? We really need to know who we're up against.” Argo nods.

“I've found out quite a lot, and none o' it particularly good. Asuna's new te RPGs, but I reckon you already knew that. Even wi' everything she's learned, she still makes the simplest o' rookie errors. She's gotta lotta charisma though, so there's not many who can resist her persuasion. Just you guys, really. She's go' the foundations o' leadership qualities, but she's go' no idea how te build upon those. She don' understand guilds properly. She's too independent fer her own good. She doesn' understand the value o' teamwork, companionship, or the strength o' close bonds. She's built her strength herself, and almost never Switches wi' anyone. She's a lone wolf who sees players as assets, nothin' more. Several o' the Commanders are jus' the same. There's a new guy joined recently though, and he sends a chill down my spine. Kuradeel, 'is name is. Got kicked outta the Divine Dragons after tryin' te take over as leader. He's gotta lotta ambitions, but nothin' honourable. Worst is 'is hunger fer power. I seen tha' all too often, an' he's got it bad. Since joinin' the Knights, 'is ego's inflated like there's no tomorrow. He looks down on everyone, even those higher level than 'im. The one that worries me the most though, is Heathcliff. He's somethin' of a mystery. He's the top dog, but he's never been seen in a boss fight. He's rumoured to be super strong, but where did the rumours come from? I can' pinpoint that jus' yet. What I _do_ know is that he's gotta lotta knowledge about the game. The only players who can rival 'im on that count are me and that Kirito kid. If I didn't know better, I'd say he were a Beta, but that's impossible. It's a little strange tha' he knows so much, but over all he shouldn't be a problem to ya. He rarely deals with people, 'cept 'is own Commanders. Aside from that, he rarely leaves Ralberg. He sometimes sneaks out to level up in secret, but that's about it.” Sora looks distant for a time.

“You've given us a lot to think about. Ultimately our instincts about the Knights were quite accurate. Elite lone wolves with bad attitudes, authority issues, and zero honour. We cannot merge with them. Not ever. Unfortunately, we can't really merge with anyone else, either. The outcome would still be disastrous, due to the lack of trust and strong bonds. Our only option is to stay as we are, where we are at our strongest. We _will_ clear this game, I'm certain of that, it just won't be a quick thing to do. For now, we'll just have to keep our guard up. Watch out for Korrel and make sure he doesn't learn anything worth reporting to Asuna, keep our distance from any commanders that try to recruit us, whilst simultaneously trying to learn what we can about the Knights at any opportunity. Aside from that there really isn't a whole lot we can do.”

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**June 1st 2023 – 1457 JST  
Floor 21 – Sunshine Forest**

A giant Mantis, roughly 2.5 metres tall, screeches horrifically as it slashes at Sora with its scythe-like arms, aiming to cleave the boy in two. Sora sidesteps the attack before attempting a retaliation, but his movements seem a little slow, and his sword barely cuts into the Killer Mantis at all. The Mantis makes a quick jab, forcing Sora to defend himself using his shield: a white and azure round shield with a razor sharp edge and covered in bronze studs, measuring seventy centimetres in diameter. The block causes the Killer Mantis to back-pedal, allowing Sora to press his advantage with a Horizontal Square at close range. The skill doesn't kill the Mantis however, and now Sora is vulnerable due to the post-motion delay. The Killer Mantis slashes at Sora, who tries to jump back as soon as he is able to, but still suffers a laceration to the left thigh as the armour plate protecting it shatters into polygons. Sora lands awkwardly, stumbling as the pain registers, and providing an opening for the Killer Mantis to strike again. It rushes forwards, only to be intercepted by a spear thrust into its mandibles. The Killer Mantis bursts into shards as Sachi appears by Sora's side.

“Are you okay?” Sora shrugs off the pain.

“I'll be alright if I can get a bit more breathing room, but these things are relentless. If we can't clear this area soon, we'll have to pull out. My armour's taking more hits than I'd like, and these things are good at draining the durability.” Sachi doesn't get a chance to respond as five more Killer Mantises spawn in, bearing down on the pair with great haste. The other Black Cats aren't faring much better. They're outnumbered three-to-one, and exhaustion seems to be setting in. Sachi engages the nearest Mantis, jabbing at it and clubbing its head, while Sora faces off against two enemies together. The first of these tries to stab Sora in the head, but he brushes the attack aside with his shield before severing the appendage. The second Killer Mantis aims for his exposed back, only to be slammed in the side of the head with Sora's shield. The first Mantis succeeds in slashing at Sora's side before losing its other arm, and a solid Shield Flip knocks it prone, allowing Sora to shift focus. He uses a deflectional parry to protect himself against the first slash, punishing it with a strike to the face with his shield. The second Mantis makes a crossing slash that Sora intercepts with his Frost Maiden. When he tries to break free of the clash though, his sword shatters. Reacting on instinct, Sora swings his shield, using the razor sharp edge to sever the Mantis' arms before kicking it in the face. He draws out Shadowbane and uses his Lateral Pentagram skill to kill the two Mantises just as Sachi finishes hers off. As the two are pushed onto the defensive by the other Mantises that had spawned in, two more groups of Killer Mantises spawn as well, pushing the number advantage to five-to-one in favour of the Mantises. One group surges towards Sachi and Sora, while the other charges towards the other Black Cats. With Sachi and Sora now fighting against four Mantises each, they don't even have the chance to warn the others. A war cry shouts out, and seven Killer Mantises are wiped out by a black blur, which resolves itself to reveal Kirito. Sachi makes a snap decision.

“Everyone: form up on Kirito!” The Black Cats obey without question, cutting their way through to rally around Kirito, forming a single unit instead of two separated ones. Kirito's intervention has balanced the odds more evenly. Now there are only twenty-three Killer Mantises, against seven players. The Mantises race forwards, intending to make the most of their advantage, and the players meet the challenge head on. It is immediately clear that Kirito's arrival has bolstered the courage and determination of the Black Cats, each member now moving faster, striking harder and with greater precision. Kirito himself is devastatingly effective against the Killer Mantises, killing them in a few hits each. When five break off to try and single him out, he annihilates the lot with a single Horizontal Square. Not wanting to be outdone, Sora kills five himself with Lateral Pentagram, while Sachi carves her way through the survivors with unparalleled viciousness. Any that survive her are picked off by Tetsuo and Sasamaru, leaving Keita and Ducker to stare in awe. In only a matter of moments, the Killer Mantises are completely eradicated, with no more spawning in. Keita walks up to Kirito while the others catch their breath and drink potions.

“I can't begin to thank you enough for your help. Your timing was impeccable. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't shown up.” Kirito waves aside the gratitude.

“I'm just glad I could help out. I was just passing through to do some exploring when I heard the battle going on. I never expected to see you guys here, though. Small world, huh?” Sachi glances over at Kirito.

“If you're looking for the rumoured rare item that's supposed to be here, we can save you some time. It's a bust. False info. There's nothing here but this swarm zone. It's decent for exp I suppose, if you can handle it. We thought we could but... I guess we got ahead of ourselves.” Kirito fails to hide his disappointment.

“False info? That's a bummer. Still, I'm glad I could at least lend you guys a hand. We should probably get out of here soon though, or monsters will start spawning in again.” Keita nods.

“Good point. At the same time though, I'd like to buy you a drink at the Solstice Inn, as a token of gratitude.” Kirito tries to decline the offer.

“You don't have to-” Sora cuts him off, speaking for the first time since Kirito's arrival.

“You saved us. A drink is the least we could do. Really, we owe you more than that, but for now I'll insist on this. I think we all will.” The other Black Cats nod in agreement. Kirito relents.

“Well, if you insist. I could do with taking a break actually. I've barely stopped moving since Day One. I-” Sora raises a hand, silencing Kirito. He looks about, ears keen, senses fully alert. With a flick of the wrist, Sora launches a Throwing Pick into some bushes nearby, and a cry rings out. Sora's cursor turns orange, meaning that it was a player that he hit. Kirito and the Black Cats converge on the source of the cry, where they see the player struggling to stand, trying to pull the Throwing Pick out of their left hip. The player also has an orange cursor. Sachi and Sasamaru train their spears upon him, flanking him. Sora and Kirito cut off his retreat, while Ducker, Tetsuo and Keita close in from behind. The player surrenders, the hood of their cloak dropping in the process. Kirito looks surprised to see the player.

“I know you. You're an Info Broker. Your name is-” Sora growls as he anticipates the name.

“Korrel, right?” The player tuts but doesn't say anything more than that. Sachi presses the tip of her spear against his throat.

“You will answer him, unless you want me to take your leg.” The player tuts again, more irritated this time.

“Yeah, I'm Korrel, what of it? I'm just doing my job!” Sora speaks coldly.

“And that's what our problem is. Your job is to spy on me, learn everything you can about me, and report it back to Asuna. I know there's certain things she wants you to focus on, but you're out of luck. I won't give up that information so lightly. Go back to Asuna, and tell her that if she wants the answers she seeks, she'll have to earn them. _Honestly_. Resorting to a method like this won't work. If I catch you tailing me again, I'll wreck your equipment and drag you to the Jail myself. Got it?” Korrel only snarls at first, until Sachi presses the spear deeper, almost piercing his throat.

“Fine! Just let me go already!” Sora nods to Sachi, and she pulls back her spear. Everyone else moves back as well, and clears a path for Korrel. After shooting a contemptuous glare at Sora, he heads off into the forest. Kirito looks concerned and confused in equal measure.

“I'm impressed that you sensed him, but what was that all about exactly? What information was he after?” Sora shakes his head.

“Honestly, I hope you don't have occasion to find out. If you do, it means things have gone horribly wrong. It means that someone will definitely die unless I use the skills he was sent to investigate.”

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**June 1st 2023 – 1622 AST  
Floor 21 – Solaria – Lisbeth's Smithy**

Lisbeth turns to welcome new customers as she hears them enter, but stops in her tracks when she sees Sora and Sachi, and the dire condition they appear to be in.

“Nebula? What happened? How did you end up with an orange cursor?” Sora grimaces.

“It's nothing major. I just hit Korrel with a Throwing Pick. Serves him right for spying on me. After getting into a rough battle in the Sunshine Forest, I wasn't in the mood to be lenient with him. I doubt he'll heed my warning, but he'll certainly tread more carefully from now on. Whether or not that'll give me more breathing room in future is another matter.” Lisbeth looks concerned at this.

“Asuna's spy? Well, going easy on him would probably have failed to work on him. If anything it would embolden him to keep poking his nose in.” She then notices Sora's armour which deepens her concern. She walks over to him, examining his situation more closely.

“You've lost three plates of armour. What you have left is seriously damaged. Your shield too, and Shadowbane. Sachi's not doing much better. You two had better come through to the back. I can repair your gear and replace the missing armour pieces easily enough, but upgrades will take time, and materials. Do you need it in a hurry?” Sachi shakes her head as she and Sora follow Lisbeth to the workshop area.

“No, we're not going back out into the field today. I think we've done enough fighting already as it is. As for what happens tomorrow... I guess we'll know tomorrow.” Lisbeth nods. While she waits for Sora to remove his equipment to be repaired, she asks for more information.

“So what happened? How bad was the fighting?” Sachi lets out a dejected sigh.

“We were looking for Egin Crystals. According to the intel we'd encountered, there should have been some in the depths of the Sunshine Forest, but there wasn't. The information was false, though I don't know if it was deliberately false or not. What we found instead was a swarm zone. Fifty-five Killer Mantises in total, attacking in waves that spawned quicker each time. It wasn't like the battles we're used to, and we were already worn out from the journey to reach that place. We would have been in serious trouble if we hadn't been rescued by Kirito.” Lisbeth looks curious.

“Kirito? Who's that?” Sora answers as he hands over his equipment.

“He's a solo player, and very skilled. I hear from him quite regularly, but I haven't actually seen him since Illfang. He got the Last Attack Bonus in that boss fight. Lately he's been raiding dungeons and assisting on Field Boss fights. Don't think he's quite ready for joining in on Floor Boss raids yet though. He's strong, I know that much. The sword he carries is at least as strong as Shadowbane, possibly stronger. He's also got high strength and agility, and good reflexes. He's one of three players outside of the Black Cats who can parry efficiently and consistently, that I know of anyway.” Lisbeth looks intrigued.

“He must be good, if someone of your calibre acknowledges him. A lucky thing too, by the sounds of things. Fifty-five Killer Mantises... I can't even begin to imagine a fight like that. I can handle the enemies up to Floor 17, but after that they start getting too tough for me, even when I'm in a party. That would explain why your gear is in such bad shape... and I'm not seeing Frost Maiden, so I guess that was lost too?” Sora nods sadly.

“Unfortunately. It lasted quite a long time though, and I was thinking it was time for an upgrade. I just hoped that I could sell it instead, or else use it as material for a new weapon. I guess there's no use crying over spilled milk though.” Lisbeth ponders this for a time.

“An upgrade... that won't be easy. I could forge one, but the materials for a sword that matches or exceeds Shadowbane don't drop on this Floor, but on Floor 25. Your armour I can upgrade if you guys can handle the labyrinth on this Floor, but it won't be that much of an upgrade. Most of your gear is drop loot, which tends to be of markedly higher quality than craftable equipment made from materials dropped up to the Floor upon which the loot was dropped.” Sora looks troubled by this.

“Floor 25? We're not strong enough for that. The Clearers only just managed to break through, but even then they lost nearly twenty players, mostly from Divine Dragons Alliance. I guess a new sword will have to wait then, unless I get lucky with a treasure chest or something like that. We'll look into hitting the labyrinth, but that could be a way off yet as well. For now I'll just have to make do with what I've got, and work on evading rather than blocking and parrying. I have the speed and reflexes for that, I just don't like doing it since parrying attacks is better for exposing weak spots.” 

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**June 1st 2023 – 1640 AST  
Floor 19 – Ralberg**

Asuna sticks to the shadows as she passes silently through narrow alleyways. She wears a dark robe that hides her almost entirely, so as to avoid being recognised. After a few minutes of navigation, she comes to a dead end alley, where Korrel waits for her.

“You have something for me?” Korrel glares at her, causing her to falter.

“The last information you'll get from me regarding Nebula. The deal's off.” Asuna throws her hood back.

“Excuse me?” Korrel sharpens his gaze.

“You never told me his guild was so hostile. You never told me that the kid would attack players without hesitation. He saw right through my Hiding skill and nailed me with a Throwing Pick. His precision was unnatural for most players here. Only Reds can cripple a guy like that without being able to see them, and that bodyguard of his damn near ripped my throat out. I'm not messing with them anymore. I wouldn't be able to learn anything even if I did.” Asuna back-pedals. _His guild was hostile? The Black Cats are amongst the friendliest guilds in this world. There's no way Sora's anything like a Red Player either, he's too innocent for that. Underhanded, but not violent or sadistic. I've seen Sachi's hostility though, so that at least doesn't surprise me. There must be some other explanation here, but there's no way I'll get it from Korrel. I'll just have to find some other way to learn what I need to_. 

“Fine. So what _did_ you find out?” Korrel relaxes his aggression somewhat.

“I've been speaking with other players: ex-Clearers and other people who've been in battles alongside the Black Cats. I think I've got Nebula's motivations figured out, though the answer there is a paradox when I consider his attack on me. It seems he's got a protective nature, like you wouldn't believe. Everyone I've spoken to says the same thing: if you're in danger, Nebula will throw himself into any peril to protect you, regardless of the harm that comes to him as a result. He's resolved to clear the game, but he's not doing it to break free like the other Clearers. He's doing it to protect people. His motivations are selfless. He fights hardest when his guild's in trouble though, especially that Sachi chick. He'll go toe-to-toe with anything to protect her. Swarms, bosses, Reds... literally anything. He'll protect anyone he sees in danger, but she takes priority.” Asuna reflects on this as she pays Korrel for the information.

“I see. You've given me a lot to think about. It's a shame they've thrown a wrench in the works, but at the same time I'm not all that surprised. They've been causing me problems for a while now.” Korrel shrugs.

“Well, it works for them, I can say that much at least. Even though they've fallen way back from the Clearers, they're still ridiculously strong. Still the strongest of the small guilds. If you're planning on carrying on, searching for those answers, then I suggest you tread carefully. As I said: they don't hesitate to get aggressive.” With that, Korrel walks off, leaving Asuna with her thoughts. _That's definitely true in Sachi's case, but the others? I still think Korrel was hiding something from me, but I guess it no longer matters. Him calling off the contract is problematic, but at least it frees me from having to deal with him. The question now is how to proceed. I'll need to think carefully about that. I'm disappointed in Nebula, though. He's not trying to clear the game to end this nightmare? He's just protecting people? He'd protect a lot more if he got off his arse and beat the game. Every day we're stuck in here is another day we're losing in the real world. Every day that passes, more people die. The sooner we beat this game, the more of us there will be left over at the end of it. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Nebula's a child. He thinks like a child. He doesn't see the bigger picture like the rest of us do. He's still treating this like a game. His guild is just the same. No wonder they've become so weak. Even the Army is stronger than they are, despite everything_.

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**June 1st 2023 – 1917 AST  
Floor 21 – Solaria – Solstice Inn**

Sora and Sachi enter the tavern area, where Keita greets them boisterously, calling them over to the table where the rest of the Black Cats are joined by Kirito.

“Sachi! Sora! You're just in time for the celebration!” Sachi looks confused as she approaches the table.

“Celebration? What are we celebrating?” Keita claps Kirito on the shoulder, oblivious to the awkward discomfort of the solo player.

“Kirito's agreed to join our guild. After all this time, the Moonlit Black Cats has finally managed to recruit a new member!” Sachi turns to Kirito questioningly.

“Is this true?” Kirito nods, still uncomfortable.

“That's right. I was hesitant at first... but this might be good for me. I've hit a bit of a wall with levelling. Gaining exp is hard to do when you're playing solo. I'm only Level 30 as a result, and even _that_ took an awful lot of grinding.” Keita looks impressed by this.

“Wow! You're the same level as Nebula then. That explains why you could handle those Killer Mantises the way you did, though I'm guessing you managed to get some good gear from rare drops, too.” Sora flashes a suspicious glance at Kirito, before looking away. Keita misses the glance, but notices that Sora doesn't seem to be behaving normally.

“Is something wrong? I thought you'd be more excited.” Sora musters a small smile.

“I am... I just need some rest. I think I'll get an early night, see how I feel in the morning. Right now, I'm just exhausted. Those battles really took a lot out of me. It's not affecting me as much as Gramus did, but it still left me feeling rough.” Keita nods understandingly.

“I see. I'm not surprised, given how hard you pushed yourself today. Alright then, get some rest. You've earned it.” Sachi leads Sora away, to the staircase in the far corner of the inn. Keita watches them sadly, while Kirito feels uncomfortable.

“Maybe joining you guys wasn't my best idea, I feel like I might be an unwelcome intruder.” Keita shakes his head firmly.

“It's not that. I know Nebula's glad to have you here, he's just not in any state to show it right now. As a result, Sachi's too preoccupied to show her own relief. Nebula's well-being is Sachi's sole priority. Nothing else matters to her. Not by comparison.” Kirito looks at Keita curiously.

“Because they're related?” Keita hesitates.

“Not exactly. The truth runs deeper than that, much deeper, but it's not my place to discuss it. If I did, Sachi would tear me apart. It's _that_ personal. If you stay around long enough, and get close enough to them, you'll find out the answer for yourself. Most likely from Nebula. He opens up more easily than Sachi does. In the mean time, don't worry if they seem distant to you. It's just their way. Given everything they've been through, it's to be expected.”

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**June 1st 2023 – 2214 JST  
Tokoruzawa Hospital**

Mikoto drapes a blanket over Taro's shoulders as he sleeps at the table, mumbling quietly on occasion. Dr Samson regards this with a small smile.

“Watching you two reminds me of Sora and Akatsuki, in a manner. Though, it's usually Akatsuki who falls asleep at the table, or at her desk. Worrying can be tiring for her, so she often nods off without meaning to.” Mikoto looks at Dr Samson curiously.

“Those two behave in a similar manner? I can't help but wonder if they get mistaken for being in a relationship, then.” Dr Samson chuckles softly.

“Well, Yoshio likes to poke those kinds of jokes, when he feels bold enough to incur Akatsuki's wrath by doing so, but no-one else seems to reach that conclusion. The age difference helps, I suppose. It might happen more in Sword Art, though. You know, since people use avatars in games. I doubt they'll ever pay much attention to those sorts of things though. Their top priority will be one another. After everything they've been through together, that's understandable.” Mikoto nods slowly.

“That's very true, but now they've ended up in yet another difficult and potentially devastating situation. I know by now that they'd prefer to be in the situation together rather than apart, but at the same time I can't help wondering if Taro did the right thing by giving Sora his copy of SAO. I don't even know why he did it. He never told me.” Dr Samson looks faintly uncomfortable.

“I think he's afraid of upsetting you, that's why.” Mikoto looks surprised.

“You know the reason?” Dr Samson nods.

“He told Sora, and Sora told me.” Mikoto fixes Dr Samson with a very stern gaze all of a sudden.

“And...?” Dr Samson withers under Mikoto's intense glare.

“H-He said something about you being upset with him if you found out he was playing the game.” Mikoto sighs with exasperation.

“Taro, you idiot.” She shakes her head sadly.

“I've never been upset with him for playing games. I love them myself. What I'm upset about is that he never plays games with me. I'm his girlfriend, for crying out loud! Of course I want to join in with his hobbies and things! Yet despite that, he always goes off on his own. No matter how many hints I try to drop to get him to realise that I want to play alongside him, he never seems to pick up on that. Now he's got it into his head that I don't like games. The reason why I told him that we should wait until the second pressings of SAO came out was because I wanted us to play together, but the first pressing was limited to one copy per household. I didn't want him running off into Sword Art without me. Well, at least this way he hasn't, but I don't know whether or not that's a good thing. He's pretty bad at RPGs, so in this crisis he might have... but now Sora is in SAO. Regardless of whether or not Sora would prefer to be there with his sister, he's trapped in there for God knows how long.” Dr Samson places a hand on Mikoto's shoulder.

“Try not to worry about that. Sora's got experience with RPGs, as does Akatsuki and their friends. Sora's sharp mind and overwhelming convictions will keep them going strongly no matter what. I can't say how long it will take them to get out of the game, but they _will_ get out. I know they will. I believe in Sora and the others.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**June 12th 2023 – 1128 AST  
Floor 25 – Feymire Swamp**

A pair of spear-wielding humanoids with fish-like faces circle around Sora, trying to find an opening as the boy covers his front with his shield, and his rear with Shadowbane. The fish man in front thrusts at Sora with its spear, giving in to impatience. Sora angles his shield as he shifts to his right, so that the spear glances off with minimal impact. Sora rotates his body, pushing his shield around behind him to protect himself from being stabbed in the back, while in the course of his movement slashes decisively, rending the first fish man's head from its body. Sora keeps his shield angled, deflecting the second spear thrust, and continuing on his momentum to throw a cut at his surviving opponent. This one reacts faster, and steps aside briskly, but not without sustaining a deep laceration to the left arm. The fish man is in a poor position to defend against Sora however, who steps in to perform a slash from top right to bottom left before sweeping the sword around to slash from top left to bottom right, in an almost flawless figure-of-eight. Sora darts forwards as his opponent staggers backwards, and lunges with deadly precision into the fish man's throat, killing it. Looking about himself, Sora can see that the rest of the Moonlit Black Cats are handling things just as smoothly, cutting down the fish people without taking so much as a scratch. Sachi joins him after mowing down nine fish people with the same two-hit skill.

“Everything's going according to plan so far. We should be at the lair in just a few more minutes.” Sora doesn't respond initially. Not until the last monsters are cut down.

“I find it impossible to believe that the Clearers had so much trouble with this Floor. These Sahuagin supposedly killed two players before the Clearers even found the Field Boss, who killed four more. Nine Clearers died in the Labyrinth, against the Two-Headed Giant. So much for the Knights of the Blood Oath boasting the strongest and most skilled players. They must have been borderline newbies to struggle so much where we fight so effortlessly. The Divine Dragons Alliance are no better. Yet they dare to look down upon us. Fools.” Kirito wonders over, joining the conversation.

“Oh yeah, you guys used to be part of the Clearers, didn't you? What happened? One day you just sort of vanished from the frontlines.” Sachi answers instead of Sora, who becomes somewhat withdrawn.

“It wasn't a decision we made lightly, but in the end it was the only option for us. We'd been progressing through the game far too quickly, pushing ahead despite being lacking in levels. It wasn't good for us. The strain of having to fight so hard to stay alive was wearing down upon us, so we pulled back. We need to get our levels up before we can rejoin the Clearers. That being said, ever since you joined us we've been able to level up much faster than before. We're gaining on the Clearers once more, especially since their progress has slowed down without us.” Kirito looks intrigued.

“Is that so? And you guys are looking to rejoin the Clearers?” Sora speaks up, determination in his voice.

“We need to. The situation on the frontlines is unacceptable. Not the progress, I mean. There's too much elitism amongst the Clearers. Way too much. They won't let anyone join them, not easily. Those who do manage to join get looked down upon, and treated so horrifically that most people avoid them. No-one likes to be condescended or patronised, so they stay away from the source of it: The Knights of the Blood Oath and the Divine Dragons Alliance. Those two guilds need to be reminded of their place in this world. They need to be reminded that strength comes from the bonds of brotherhood, not levels and equipment. We'll rejoin the frontlines, we'll knock those arrogant fools down a few pegs. We'll show everyone in this world that levels are just numbers, and that equipment is just that. We'll show them that true strength comes from the bonds you forge with your fellow players, and that anyone who understands this can make a fair contribution to beating this game.” Keita calls over to the trio.

“Hey guys! Ducker's found the lair!” Sora moves up first, with Sachi close behind, leaving Kirito with his thoughts. _Once again, I'm left struggling to believe that Nebula is as young as he says he is. He knows all about the things that are going on in this world, and he can home in on the flaws of the Clearers without any problems whatsoever. It's hard not to be impressed by him. He knows what's wrong, and he knows_ exactly _what is needed to fix that. The Clearers_ are _too elitist, and they need to be put back in line by the Black Cats. This guild has become devastatingly strong due to the bonds that each member shares with the others. I just wish I could fit in with all that, but it's looking like an uphill struggle. Nebula and Sachi seem to be avoiding me. Could it be that they know about my true level? That would certainly harm their trust in me. Even so, I think this was for the best. They've been able to benefit from having me around. Their levels are climbing fast under my careful guidance. With this expedition, Nebula will have the materials he needs for a new sword, one which may well be stronger than his Shadowbane. The Black Cats are almost ready to return to the frontlines, and I truly believe that everyone in this world will benefit from that. When they see that a guild as small as the Black Cats are stronger than the Knights or the DDA despite being smaller, lower level and with weaker equipment; then people will realise what it really means to be strong, what is truly required for that. I need to help them out with that as much as I can, but I feel that my dishonesty will make my stay only a short one. As long as it's enough time for me to get them ready to rejoin the Clearers, that's all that matters_. Kirito catches up to the others as they reach their destination: a cave half hidden by mangroves and an offensive miasma. The cave is around twenty metres long, about eighteen metres wide, and ten metres high. Inside is a hideous abomination of a creature; a cross between a spider and a reptile, three metres tall and six metres long. It has six slender, scaly legs with viciously clawed feet, as well as two thicker, more muscular legs closer to the head of the beast that end with vaguely humanoid hands, bearing clawed fingers. The bulk of the body is covered in thick, olive green scales, and bears a passing resemblance to a crocodile in terms of appearance and scale patterns, though the tail is a short stump; a vestigial appendage. The scaly head has eight black eyes, and comparatively small jaws that open sideways, revealing lines of needle-like teeth. The creature is identified as “Mangrove Stalker”, a Level 30 monster with two health bars. Tetsuo flinches at the sight of the monstrosity, its legs apparently being enough to trigger his arachnophobia. Sora pats him on the shoulder.

“Hold steady, Tetsuo. You've handled worse than this before and came out just fine. Remember to mirror Sasamaru, and stay at a distance. Sachi, Kirito and I will handle the close quarters stuff. Keita and Ducker will attack from behind. You've got this. We've all got this.” Tetsuo nods and moves into position to the Mangrove Stalker's left side. The other Black Cats take their positions as well. The Mangrove Stalker singles out Sora as the weakest opponent and throws a powerful swipe. Sora meets the swipe with his shield, stopping the attack with ease.

“Don't get cocky just because I'm small, damn it! I'm not nearly as weak as you.” A flash of steel precedes the swish of the sword by a few milliseconds as Sora punishes the Mangrove Stalker with a vicious upward slash that rears the beast onto its hind legs. Sachi rushes forwards and presses a brutal thrust into the Mangrove Stalker's virtually non-existent throat, pushing it further back. Keita and Ducker seize upon the chance to hack away at the Stalker's rearmost legs, while Sasamaru jabs twice at the right flank. The Mangrove Stalker tries to turn upon Keita and Ducker, who maintain their attacks, but gets intercepted by Tetsuo's war-hammer. The bone-shattering strike to the chin flips the Mangrove Stalker onto its back, giving Sachi and Sasamaru the opening to rush in and lance at the exposed underside twice each before the creature thrashes about and regains its footing. Sora and Kirito attack in unison, both initiating Vorpal Strike and blasting the creature into the back wall of the cave. The Mangrove Stalker again aims for Sora, but as the boy pushes aside the swipe with his shield, he realises that he has exposed himself to harm. A long, thin, secondary mouth-like appendage races out of the Mangrove Stalker's jaws with astonishing speed, and bites into Sora's throat with viper-like fangs. Sora immediately curses himself for the involuntary cry that escapes him as a third of his health is erased, and more is drained away fast as a poison marker appears by his health bar. Sora's health is already hurtling towards the red by the time Sachi severs the appendage and presses a green crystal against Sora.

“Cure!” The poison marker vanishes just as Sora's health enters the red, but the danger isn't over yet.

“Watch out!” It isn't clear who gave the warning, but Sachi and Sora both turn as a shadow falls over them, and they see the Mangrove Stalker leaping towards them, its health almost full again despite the beating it had taken. They see Kirito soaring into view as well, blade glowing cerulean, before he unleashes Sonic Leap to slam the Mangrove Stalker into the cave floor. Sora snarls viciously and races towards the monster, his sword and shield both glowing purple. The Mangrove Stalker is only able to push itself up onto its front legs before Sora initiates his Sword Skill. He swings his shield from left to right, striking with a resounding clang before bringing the shield back along the same trajectory, earning another echoing clang. Sora uses the momentum to fuel a vicious lateral slash from right to left that sends him into a spin, bringing the shield back to smash the Mangrove Stalker in the face once again. Sora follows up with a downwards diagonal slash from right to left, before sweeping the sword around to slash diagonally downwards from left to right. He sweeps the blade into a tighter curve which allows him to make a lateral slash from right to left, before flipping his wrist to make a true-edge cut instead of a false-edge cut from left to right. He strikes with the shield again, swinging diagonally down from left to right, then back along the same trajectory. Sora whips his sword horizontally from right to left before sweeping into a diagonal slash from top left to bottom right, then top right to bottom left, followed by another whipped slash from left to right that sweeps into a vertical slash from top to bottom. Sora takes a large stride forward with his left leg as he thrusts the Shadowbane into the Mangrove Stalker's face, taking two more long strides as he pushes the sword all the way in and up to the cross-guard. The Mangrove Stalker bursts into polygons, literally falling apart under Sora's relentless assault. He barely pays any attention to his exp and Cor earnings, his focus being entirely on the twenty Laruta Crystals instead. _Hm. That's a little more than I was expecting. If my calculations are correct, then not only will Lisbeth be able to forge the new sword for me, but she'll be able to enhance it to +4 as well. I'll take two points on Accuracy, one on Quickness and one on Sharpness then. That'll take care of Sharpness, leaving just Accuracy and Quickness, which I'll aim to raise the same as Shadowbane since that works out very well for me. That's good. Getting the new sword enhanced this quickly should make levelling up even faster. I just have to watch that I don't push too far ahead, or I could end up breaking it_. A low whistle draws Sora's attention to Ducker, who looks deeply impressed.

“That was one Hell of a Sword Skill you just used. Where did you get that from?” Sora shrugs.

“I don't think it came from anything special, just from raising my Shield and One-Hand Sword proficiencies to a high enough degree. I unlocked it yesterday, and tested it out last night. Crusader's Crescendo. It's a pretty decent skill, 16-hit combo... but there's not a whole lot of movement involved. It seems like all the Sword Skills in this game are just forward pushes, no lateral movement, and I really don't like that. Against medium weight bosses, I guess this is okay, but against anything fast or tanky and the skill will be pretty useless. Anything too light would be bad to use it on as well, as the shield strikes would slap it away from the slashes. It would have been okay against the Field Boss around here, but against the Two-Headed Giant it would have been pretty useless. I'll have to watch when I use this, then. Against the wrong enemy, and I could place myself in serious danger.” Sachi places a hand on Sora's shoulder.

“Did you get everything you needed?” Sora nods.

“Yeah, I've got enough Laruta Crystals now. We can leave this rotten swamp behind and return to Solaria. I can't wait to breathe fresh air again. This miasma is really messing with my head.” He leads the way out of the cave, but as soon as he steps out into the open, there is a loud snarling hiss and an explosion of swamp water. Sora barely has time to register the horned crocodile leaping at him. He falters in shock and stumbles back, the wide open jaws missing his torso and clamping down on his right leg instead, bringing him down heavily. He is dimly aware of Sachi's horrified scream, and then the horned crocodile explodes into shards. A black blur races back and forth between five more crocodiles nearby, ripping them apart ferociously with flashes of steel. Kirito breathes heavily for a moment before turning back to Sora.

“Are you okay?” Sora finds himself unable to speak, even as Sachi fusses over him, but he manages to suppress the trembling. Keita claps Kirito on the shoulder.

“That was quick thinking. I'm glad you were able to react like that. The rest of us were frozen in shock. All the more reason for us to get out of here, I think.” 

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**June 12th 2023 – 1409 AST  
Floor 21 – Solaria – Lisbeth's Shop**

Tetsuo is greeted with a warm smile as he enters Lisbeth's Shop.

“Hey, Tetsuo! And what can I do for a fellow smasher?” Tetsuo finds himself chuckling at this.

“Just some repairs today, Liz. I'm still picking my brains about a new weapon. I like using War-hammers, but they leave me short on defence. I've been thinking about going back to a Mace and Shield set-up, but I'm worried it'll leave me short on damage potential and range. It's a tough choice to make. So in the meantime I'm sticking with my current gear, for the time being at least.” Liz gestures to the rear of the shop, and Tetsuo follows.

“Well, I don't think there's any need for you to rush right now. You've got plenty of close friends to cover your lack of defence, and at the same time you have enough damage dealers to cover you if you decide to go for Mace and Shield combo. In the end, it'll come down to whatever you feel most comfortable with. I prefer Maces, but that's just me. At any rate, you're at a decent point in the game to make the switch if you want to. At later Floors it'd be a harder decision to make, but for now you'd be able to get away with it.” Tetsuo nods as he hands over his War-hammer. While Lisbeth makes repairs, Tetsuo reflects on her words. _She's right. Now is the ideal time to make a decision. Whichever path I choose to walk, my friends will cover whatever I lack. That's one of the many things that makes the Black Cats so strong. We cover every weakness and open the path to utilise every strength. That doesn't help me reach a decision, though. I guess I'll have to do a little more soul-searching. I have some time for that_. Lisbeth notes Tetsuo's pensiveness.

“Don't think too hard, I can hear the gears turning.” Tetsuo laughs openly at this.

“Well, maybe. Nebula seems to be better for thinking than I am. It often feels like he never stops thinking things over. Not just major things, but small things too. They seem to be on his mind constantly, even when being mischievous.” Lisbeth raises an eyebrow.

“So then, what's different with him today? I saw something was... off... with him today. Like he was distracted. Like there was something interfering with his ability to think. He didn't seem like himself, and that seems to be affecting Sachi, too.” Tetsuo looks somewhat saddened.

“I know. Things got a little bit rough on our expedition to find the Mangrove Stalker. Nebula took quite a bit of damage in that fight. It's what happened afterwards that got to him, I think. We were attacked by Horned Crocodiles as soon as we left. Nebula was the first out of the cave, and I guess he wasn't expecting the ambush. Didn't get hit badly, but the shock caught him. Even so, it's not that he got hurt that's bothering him, I think. He takes damage all the time. I think it might be jealousy. Kirito reacted instantly, wiping out all six Horned Crocodiles with insane speed. Kirito's even stronger than any of us expected him to be, and I think Nebula is envious of that. Right from Day One, Nebula has always been fighting harder than the rest of us, pushing himself to become stronger and stronger in order to protect us. He's never really had any doubts that he's one of the strongest players, but I think seeing Kirito wipe out those Crocodiles so quickly showed Nebula that he's got a lot further to go to reach his goal than he realised. It's disheartened him, I think. Which of course affects Sachi too. Any time Nebula gets worried or upset by something, she gets worried about him.” Lisbeth reflects on this.

“Well, I guess it _can_ be a bit discouraging, but even so it seems like Nebula's taking things a little harder than he ought to be. I mean, Kirito was a solo player up until a few days ago. You _need_ to be strong to survive by yourself. Surely Nebula understands this.” Tetsuo nods.

“He does. There's more to it though. I wish I could tell you about it, but it's not my place to discuss something that affects Nebula and Sachi on such a personal level. All I can really say is that, ultimately, Nebula _is_ justified for being so bothered by what he perceives as a lack of strength.”

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**June 12th 2023 – 2044 AST  
Floor 21 – Solaria – Solstice Inn**

Kirito walks onto the rooftop terrace and takes a look around. _According to the NPC barmaid, Nebula and Sachi came up here not long ago_. After a few more seconds of searching, Kirito spots the pair, staring out across the town under the canvas of the night sky. He approaches cautiously, feeling awkward and apprehensive.

“There you are. I've been wanting to talk to the two of you alone, if possible.” Sachi glances back, looking distant.

“Well, here we are.” Kirito presses on while his courage holds out.

“I may be misreading things, but I get the feeling the two of you have been avoiding me ever since I joined. I think I know why. It's-” Sora cuts him off.

“You think it's because you're really a Level 46, right?” Kirito falters.

“You knew?” Sora doesn't turn back.

“Not your exact level, not until Sachi saw it earlier, but we always knew you were a lot higher than you claimed to be.” Kirito hesitates, uncertain of how to proceed.

“H-How did you know?” Sora turns to look at Kirito questioningly, his right eyebrow raised so high it seems in danger of reaching his scalp.

“Kirito, we're not idiots. Okay, the others might be, but Sachi and I aren't. You're a Clearer. You're the _only_ solo player amongst the Clearers, no less. There's no way in Hell you were as low a level as you were claiming to be. Honestly I don't know how the others fell for that. I guess they're just not as up-to-date about events in this world as I thought they were. You were at least Level 42 when you joined us. Sachi and I already knew that. We've never cared about your level. Honestly we can't even understand why you'd hide that from us, but we figured you had a reason and decided not to press the matter.” Kirito looks dumbfounded.

“B-But... if it's not my level, then-” Sora raises a hand.

“I suppose I should apologise. I never intended to be distant with you. Kirito, I honestly have no issues with you. None at all. You're a good person, and I've genuinely been glad to have you around. I just... I have a lot on my mind these days. Ever since Gramus, actually. That battle took more out of me than I expected it to, even given the circumstances. I fought so hard, put myself through so much, and even then I still came far too close to losing Sachi. Ever since then I've been pushing myself beyond my limits to try and get stronger, to try and make sure that I never come that close to losing her ever again, but it seems like no matter what I do, it's never good enough. Every time I start to think that I'm finally making progress, I get reminded of how weak I really am. Today's expedition was another such reminder. I had my health drained by the Mangrove Stalker because I wasn't cautious enough, and I almost ended up as lunch for a Horned Crocodile because I let my guard down too early, and because I was exhausted by the fight we'd just won. There's a lot on my plate at the moment. Fears that I can't shake, nightmares that I'm trying so hard to prevent from coming true. It's affecting my performance in battle, but I just can't seem to get a grasp on these problems.” Sora takes a breath before continuing.

“Because Sachi is aware of all of this, she in turn ends up worrying about me. Such is the nature of the situation we're in at the moment. We can't afford to lose one another, and Sachi ends up worrying about me every time I'm not at the top of my game. Naturally, this then affects her performance. A drop in her performance causes me to worry, which drops my performance further, which causes her to worry more... and there of course you see what's going on. We've got ourselves trapped in a vicious cycle with no way out, not one that we can see right now, anyway. This cycle is on our minds all the time, which is why we seem like we're avoiding you. Which is why I wanted to apologise. Because of our problems, you've ended up getting it into your head that we're avoiding you, possibly even that we don't want you around. That couldn't be further from the truth. We're genuinely glad to have you as a member of the Moonlit Black Cats. If we could tackle this problem, we might finally be able to emulate that, but for now... we've got our hands full.” Kirito stands in stunned silence for a few moments. _So_ that's _what's going on? It's nothing to do with me at all? They're not bothered by my level, they knew it all along, and they really_ do _want me around? I can't believe I misread the situation so badly. The problems they're facing... I think I can understand that, even as a solo player. When you're looking out for other people, anything that affects them ends up affecting you too. With Sachi and Nebula looking out for one another to such an extent, I guess it's inevitable that they'd get caught in such a spiral. In order for them to deal with their personal problems, they're going to need their burdens in the field reduced. Now_ that's _something I can handle_.

“I see. So _that's_ what's going on. Then I might be able to help you two out. I'm not planning on leaving any time soon. In fact, if you're really not bothered by my level, then I have no reason to leave. How about I switch with Tetsuo and join you on the frontlines? I know Tetsuo's been picking his brains about his equipment set-up, but if I switch with him, then that'll help him make up his mind, too. Not only that, but I'll be able to take on some of your burden on the frontlines. If things are less dicey for you in combat, you'll be less exhausted by the battles, and you'll have more energy to focus on your other problems, right?” Sachi looks at Kirito in amazement.

“You'd really do that for us? I mean, Nebula's a first-rate aggro-magnet. No-one antagonises mobs like he does. I know you're much higher level than us, but still... it's going to get dangerous.” Kirito waves aside the concern.

“I know it can get a little hairy, and that even with my levels I'll take some damage, but I've been through worse. I might not be able to solo a boss like Nebula did, but I can still hold my own against them, and against mob swarms. Besides, if it helps you two get back into top form, then it'll be safer for all of us, wouldn't it? Having three of the strongest SAO players on the frontlines works better when they're all in peak condition rather than being distracted. Although, I don't want to tell the others about my level just yet. Once we've secured a headquarters, that's when I'll come clean.” Sora almost looks as though he might cry.

“I'd really appreciate that, Kirito. If I can breathe easier on the frontlines, without having it affect my levelling, then that would be the ideal situation. Once I've gotten everything else under control, I'll be able to cut loose again. And don't worry, when the time comes to tell the others about your level, Sachi and I will be there to support you. I'm sure Keita will be shocked, but the others won't be bothered by it, all in all. We'll talk Keita round if his brain decides to stop working again.” 

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**June 22nd 2023 – 1400 AST  
Floor 27 – Labyrinth – 1st Floor Entrance**

The Moonlit Black Cats keep a cautious watch about themselves as they check their equipment and move items around in their inventories. Only Kirito doesn't do this, being prepared already. He adjusts his long black coat as a chill breeze gusts through, and holds onto a simplistic-looking one-hand longsword with a wide black blade. He is soon joined by Sora, who wears an ultramarine blue cloak with crimson trim loosely fastened over a pale gold chest plate. The shoulders and elbows of the cloak have padded black patches, while on the back is the emblem of the Moonlit Black Cats: a black cat prowling beneath a dazzling full moon. More pale gold plates protect Sora's thighs and shins. He holds Shadowbane in his right hand, and a charcoal grey round shield, seventy centimetres in diameter with a razor sharp edge, in his left. A second sword is sheathed at his right hip, opposite his Throwing Picks. Only the cruciform hilt of the sword is visible. A pale blue cross-guard bears ornate decorations. The hilt is wrapped in forest green wire, dividing the guard from the pale blue flanged pommel. The sword sits in an ornate black scabbard, etched with gold-leaf inlays depicting dragons and serpents. Sora fidgets with his outfit nervously.

“I still can't believe this strip of cloth counts as armour. I can accept it in fantasy games where magic is a heavy presence, but Sword Art Online is basically magic-free. And yet somehow this cloak is supposedly better protection than a full suit of plates. Logic? What's that? Can I eat it?” Kirito chuckles at this.

“Yeah, I guess I see where you're coming from. Still, you can't deny it's good for mobility.” Sora nods begrudgingly.

“Yeah, I guess so. Mobility _is_ important for me, I just can't help feeling exposed, that's all. Maybe I'm just used to being in thick armour.” Sachi appears at Sora's side, wielding her Great Dragon-hook. She wears an azure blue cloak that reaches to her knees, keeping it fastened up tightly against the cold. The impression of the chest plate beneath is just about visible through the cloak. She wears knee-high plated boots, slate grey in colour. The back of her cloak bears the emblem of the Moonlit Black Cats as well. Only Ducker and Kirito lack this decoration. Sachi twirls her Naginata around casually.

“I understand where you're coming from. Even if it's just a bunch of ones and zeroes, it's nice to have the feeling of wearing actual armour, even if the protection is more of a placebo than anything else. Still, a full suit of armour is bad for stealth, and as we learned on Floor 20: the noise it makes can drown out enemies. We were fine that time, but we won't always get lucky.” Tetsuo soon joins the group, his navy blue coat being much shorter than everyone else's, clearly revealing the thick plates of slate grey armour protecting his thighs. He carries a sturdy chrome blue Heater shield in his left hand, and a fearsome Morning Star with fifteen centimetre silver spikes protruding from the black mace head in his right hand. Sora regards his set-up with a hint of nostalgia.

“You know, it's actually kind of nice seeing you go back to the Mace and Shield combo. Don't get me wrong, you were absolutely badass with a War-hammer, but at the same time I couldn't help but worry about you with that in hand. You could attract just as much aggro as me on some expeditions, and a War-hammer is not at all good for self-protection.” Tetsuo nods.

“True, but even then I never really needed to defend myself. You and Sachi were always killing everything so fast anyway, plus I had Sasamaru backing me up most times as well, so it's not like I was ever in serious danger even in rough boss fights, like Jorōgumo. Now that we have Kirito with us, there's not all that much need for me to be on the frontlines. I can ease back a bit, and guard Sasamaru more closely, when I'm not smashing the enemy, that is. I might end up missing the War-hammer on occasion, but over all I think this is best for me. I can wield a Mace or a Morning Star with much greater speed than a War-hammer, after all.” Ducker and Sasamaru join them next as they finish making preparations. Sasamaru wears a forest green cloak over his armour, brown fingerless gloves, and slate grey boots that seem to be covered by large reptile scales rather than plates of armour. He wields a winged spear, the shaft of which is 165 centimetres long and appears to be made of ash, while the mirror-finished spearhead is thirty-five centimetres in length and quite sleek. Ducker casually flips a Tantō back and forth, the crimson blade and matching crimson wrap standing out against his black fingerless gloves and khaki cloak.

“I still don't see why we couldn't come here earlier, while Keita was getting the keys to our new digs.” Sora answers flatly.

“Just because we've been doing well, doesn't mean we should get cocky. The Floors have gotten much harder since Floor 25. The Clearers are only three Floors ahead of us, so we're not exactly far from the frontlines of game progression. Traps are much more common, and monsters don't die as easily. It's a good idea to keep our formation going, rather than mess it up.” Sachi nods.

“He's right. This is a death game, remember? We should never let our guard down. Besides, we're a guild, a team. We're in this together, for the small things as much as the big ones. I still think we should have stuck to Floor 25 or 26 though, instead of pushing so far ahead of our usual grounds. Nebula and Kirito agree with me, but Keita insists we'll be okay.” Ducker sighs in resignation, knowing he can't argue. Keita finishes making his preparations as well, and joins the group. He wields a hand-and-a-half longsword with a pale blue blade, simplistic black cruciform hilt, and coffee-colour wrap. He also holds a silvery Buckler with a twenty centimetre diameter in his left hand. His black coat looks not much different from Kirito's, barring the silver trim. He waves aside Sachi's concern casually.

“We'll be fine! Honestly, you worry too much, Sachi. Haven't you already been advised against that? So, are we all ready, then?” Sachi fixes Keita with a very stern glare, almost as hostile as when she saw Diavel on Floor 18. Sora sighs, opting to take the peaceful solution.

“Yeah, looks that way now. Let's see what kind of loot we can find in here. I'd like to get my hands on a couple Skye Crystals if I can.” The group sets off, with Sora and Kirito leading the way. Sachi and Sasamaru follow, with Ducker, Keita and Tetsuo bringing up the rear. Sachi looks at Sora curiously.

“What do you need Skye Crystals for? They're purely cosmetic, aren't they? Not used for weapons?” Sora becomes visibly evasive at this.

“I've got a project in mind that calls for them, is all. There's more on my mind than just getting stronger, you know.” Before Sachi can answer, four short humanoids spawn in. Each wears greenish brown clothing with a ruddy cloak, each has a red face and a white beard, and each wields a simple pickaxe. Kirito identifies the monsters first.

“Dark Dwarf Miners. Keep your guard up. They look small but they're very strong. Don't underestimate them.” He and Sora race ahead, with Sachi and Sasamaru close on their heels. Sora reaches his target first, smashing it aside with his shield before laying into it with Horizontal Square. The Dark Dwarf Miner barely survives the attack, but as it tries to strike back, Sora takes its head off with the razor edge of his shield. Kirito slays his own target with a single Sharp Nail, as Sachi and Sasamaru engage the remaining Dwarves. Sachi executes three sweeping slashes, the last of which trips her target onto the ground, where she impales it with the barbed end of her weapon. Meanwhile Sasamaru strikes hard with five high-speed thrusts that knock the Dwarf off of a ledge, allowing the fall damage to kill it. Kirito observes his companions carefully. _So far so good. Nebula and Sachi have been on much better form these past couple of days, so that's a good sign. Still, this Labyrinth can get tricky in places. Some rooms can drop pretty nasty swarms, so we'll have to watch out for that. Still, I think we'll pull through. I'm curious as to why Nebula has two swords equipped, but I'm sure he has his reasons_. Kirito glances at Shadowbane with curiosity.

“You've had that Shadowbane for a while now, right? You haven't thought about replacing it?” Sora shakes his head firmly.

“Hell no! This is a really good sword. Insanely good, even for a Boss Drop. Besides, when Lisbeth told me that the Eight Enhancement Limit was a lie, I was able to get this bad boy upgraded a heck of a lot further. Shadowbane +22, 6A6D6Q4S. Man, even with the abbreviations those enhancements are becoming a mouthful. I dread to think what it'll be like if I enhance to +50 then, especially since I don't specialise on any singular enhancement. I'm currently trying to decide whether I'd want to aim for 13A13D13Q11S or for 14A14D14Q8S. Either way I think I'll give up specifying what enhancements I have unless someone asks and I don't mind answering.” Kirito raises an eyebrow.

“Not interested in Heaviness?” Sora glances back at Kirito.

“Well, no not really. I'm a tank, not a damage dealer. Destroying weapons and armour isn't my role in combat. I think the one who would benefit from Heaviness the most is Tetsuo, given that he's a smasher. He clobbers shields and armour, allowing Sachi and Sasamaru the opportunity to strike for the weak spots. Hence why they have high Accuracy and Sharpness, with a fair amount of Quickness too. Ducker prioritises Accuracy and Sharpness as well, to compensate for the tiny reach of his Daggers. Meanwhile Keita goes for an even balance since he has a pretty well-rounded build in general.” Kirito looks deeply surprised and intrigued in equal measure.

“Huh. I never really thought about it like that before. I kinda feel like I've wasted my enhancements now.” Sora hazards a guess.

“Heaviness and Accuracy, with a bit in Quickness and Sharpness too?” Kirito nods.

“Yeah, that's right.” Sora shrugs.

“Well that sounds about right actually. You used to be a solo player after all. With no-one to Switch with, you basically had to be a tank and damage dealer combined, so Heaviness makes sense there. Now that you've joined us though, Heaviness isn't such a priority any more. You don't have to worry about filling multiple roles, that's what the rest of us are here for: to cover the bases that you can't. You don't _have_ to change your enhancements though, if you don't want to. I'd still recommend getting some durability in next time, mind you, so you're a little less likely to break your sword in combat. Still, there's nothing explicitly wrong with the enhancements you've chosen. After all, they've served you well until now, haven't they?” Kirito is left speechless by this. As the Moonlit Black Cats press on, Kirito finds himself absorbed by his thoughts. _I'm really starting to wonder if I could ever catch up to Nebula in terms of logic. He sees things I never even considered to look for. He's grasped the mechanics of this game so much faster than just about everyone else, and knows almost as much about SAO as Argo does. No wonder so many people mistake him for a Beta tester. Still, even though he said there's nothing explicitly wrong with my enhancements, I should look into correcting those all the same. I'm not a solo player anymore. I'm a part of the Moonlit Black Cats now. It's high time I started thinking like them, figuring out where to fit in my weaknesses as much as where to fit in my strengths. I need to make sure my own bases are covered, just as much as I need to make sure I'm covering someone else's weaknesses. Nebula sure has given me a lot to think about, as usual. My instincts were right about him, back when we fought Illfang. He's an exceptionally rare case, a player of such a high calibre that very few can even come close to rivalling him. More and more I can see why people are convinced he'll be the one to clear the game. He has more than enough potential for that, he just needs the support. As a member of his guild, I need to pitch in with that support._

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**June 22nd 2023 – 1730 AST  
Floor 27 – Labyrinth – 4th Floor**

The Moonlit Black Cats proceed cautiously along a long corridor, keeping their formation in place with weapons and shields at the ready, eyes searching and ears straining to hear. The silence doesn't stretch on for long before Ducker cracks under the tension and breaks the monotony.

“So how're you doing on Skye Crystals?” Sora flinches at the initial breaking of silence, but regains composure quickly.

“I've got the bare minimum I needed, but gaining a few more wouldn't hurt at all. I'll need to take down a few more of these Granite Elementals to do that, though, or else find a treasure chest.” Sachi frowns at Ducker for breaking the silence, before returning her attention straight ahead. As the Black Cats proceed, it takes Tetsuo a moment to notice that Ducker isn't following them.

“Ducker? What's up?” Everyone turns around at this, and notice Ducker staring at a wall, which bears a strange geometric pattern. Ducker presses his right hand against this pattern, which glows bright blue briefly, and a section of the wall pushes in and slides to one side, revealing a smallish chamber, and a chest in the centre.

“All right! Treasure!” Kirito regards the room with a mixture of surprise and suspicion.

“Strange, I've never heard anything about this room before. Not even Argo knows about this, and she's the best Info Broker around.” Keita's eyes flash with the possibilities.

“Then that means no-one's ever found this room before. There could be all kinds of treasure in that chest. Rare weapons, lots of Cor and gems, Teleport Crystals, all sorts of awesome loot!” Ducker pumps a fist.

“That's the spirit! Let's get this baby opened.” Sora and Sachi rush in after the others, entering last as they had been furthest away. Sora calls out to Ducker as the boy reaches the chest.

“Wait! Don't!” His cry comes too late, and Ducker opens the chest. Immediately, the entrance to the chamber is sealed shut. Ominous red light glows from the walls, the ceiling and the ground, while a klaxon blares. Multiple doors open up, with Dark Dwarf Miners pouring in, while dozens of Granite Elementals spawn as well. Ducker whips out a Teleport Crystal.

“Teleport: Solaria!” Nothing happens. Ducker is stunned by this, and doesn't even react as two Dark Dwarf Miners bear down upon him. Sora smashes one aside with his shield before killing the other with a Lateral Pentagram.

“Teleport block! Defensive formation, now!” Sachi rushes forwards to kill the Dwarf that Sora had struck with his shield, before practically throwing Ducker towards Keita. Sora races towards Tetsuo, protecting him from a Granite Elemental. He has to chain Lateral Pentagram with Horizontal Square in order to kill it, before pushing Tetsuo towards Keita and Ducker. Sachi grabs Sasamaru, fighting off a trio of Dark Dwarf Miners in the process. Though she kills one of them, the other two prove to be more troublesome, until Kirito joins the fray and erases them both with Horizontal Arc. The Black Cats pull close together and shake off their initial shock to fight back. They have no choice but to fight on, but the monsters seem to be spawning in just as quickly as they're getting killed off. Sachi does her best to watch Sora's back, but she finds herself getting separated from him by a group of five Dark Dwarf Miners that attempt to take advantage of the fact that he is focused upon the stronger Granite Elementals. 

“No you don't!” She darts forwards, into the cluster of Dwarves and executes Crescendo Rush to kill three of them outright, before finishing the other two off with brutal sweeping slashes. Sora kicks a Dark Dwarf Miner out of his way, towards Keita and Ducker who attack it in unison, before engaging a pair of Granite Elementals with Crusader's Crescendo. One Elemental survives this attack, until Sora smashes it with his shield, finishing it off with the blow. Two more Dark Dwarf Miners try to get in Sora's way as he targets more Granite Elementals.

“Out of my way you little pricks!” He smashes one aside with Shield Flip before pivoting on his heel to roundhouse the other towards its prone companion, both of whom are set upon by Keita and Ducker. Across the chamber, Sasamaru lances at a lone Granite Elemental, though the blow seems to deal very little damage. He tuts and tries using a skill, spearing at the Granite Elemental with a single phenomenally powerful thrust. Even this seems to have very little effect beyond provoking the Elemental. As it tries to swipe at Sasamaru, Kirito parries the attack.

“Leave the Elementals to Tetsuo and I. They've got too much resistance to Piercing attacks for your spear to break through their defences. Keep the Dwarves off our backs instead.” Sasamaru nods and shifts his focus to the Miners, lancing at them with far greater effectiveness, the force of his strikes knocking them back and giving him precious breathing room, though more surge in all the same. Kirito and Tetsuo seem to Switch in and out fairly efficiently, with Kirito parrying the Elementals, setting Tetsuo up with a chance to smash away with his Morning Star, dealing heavy Impact damage. Each Granite Elemental that those two bring down together seems to draw more Dark Dwarf Miners however, which in turn places pressure on Sasamaru. _This isn't good. With those two focusing on the Elementals so much, I'm having to protect their rear by myself. They're generating a lot of aggro, which makes it harder and harder for me to deal with the Dwarves. This must be what Sachi goes through with Sora. The difference is, she has the right weapon, as well as much more skill and knowledge, to fulfil that duty much more effectively than I can hope to achieve_. Sasamaru shakes his head as he impales a Dark Dwarf Miner.

“I need you two to move towards Keita and Ducker. I can't protect you by myself when you're gaining so much aggro.” As if to prove this, two Dark Dwarf Miners slip past Sasamaru and start hacking away at Tetsuo, forcing Kirito to come to his aid. They begin moving towards the centre of the chamber, where Keita and Ducker try to keep the area clear of enemies. The exchanges between his comrades do not go unnoticed by Sora, who becomes painfully aware of the tide of monsters that threaten to overwhelm the guild. _I need to step things up some more. I need to push harder. I hate doing this since it makes me dizzy and sick to my stomach, but if we're to have any hope of surviving, I need to skill chain continuously. I just hope we can get through this soon. I can't keep up this frantic pace for long_. Sora rips into three more Granite Elementals with his Crusader's Crescendo, before using Vorpal Strike more to reach his next targets quickly than to fight them with. A surge of seven Dark Dwarf Miners cuts Sachi off from her brother, three of whom begin attacking him, drawing a cry of frustration from her.

“Damn it!” Her Great Dragon-hook glows silver as she performs a skill that is ultimately quite similar to Vorpal Strike, sending her into the centre of the Dwarves, before breaking out into a series of seventeen ferocious slashes and thrusts, killing five of them. She kills another with a left-hook, before impaling the last with the barbed end of her weapon. She just about manages to reach out to Sora with a red crystal and touches it against his spine.

“Heal!” The item restores Sora's health almost back to full, but in doing this, two more Dark Dwarf Miners slip past and hack away at Sora, who shows zero response to the damage he is taking. He merely focuses everything he has on chaining Sword Skills in an effort to kill Granite Elementals as quickly as possible, oblivious to the fact that his aggro accumulation is mounting exponentially. Before long even Granite Elementals start getting pulled towards him, driven by the aggro mechanic. One such Elemental tries to barrel its way through Sachi, who is busy dealing with Dark Dwarf Miners. As the Elemental bears down upon her, she is pulled backwards, behind Sora as he cuts through the Miners to get to the Granite Elemental, who hits him while the post-motion delay has him defenceless. Once again Sora seems unable to feel the pain despite losing a chunk of health, before punishing the Elemental with Sharp Nail and Lateral Pentagram. Another wave of Dark Dwarf Miners assails the pair, dealing several hits before the siblings shred their way through. Both turn to one another with a Healing Crystal in hand and make the same cry.

“Heal!” Across the room, Kirito breaks through five Granite Elementals with a Horizontal Square, but the sixth Elemental he had been targetting survives the attack, and strikes back while he's crippled by the post-motion delay. Tetsuo appears before him, shield raised. The Granite Elemental smashes through the shield, taking a fair chunk out of Tetsuo's health. As soon as he is able to move, Kirito punishes the Elemental with a Vorpal Strike.

“You alright?” Tetsuo nods but can't find even a second to speak as more monsters surge forwards. He takes the chance to quickly drink a potion, before facing the next wave of monsters with grim determination. Sachi sprints forwards after Sora as four Dark Dwarf Miners target him in unison, beating them back with Crescendo Rush, but the action leaves her vulnerable as well. A Granite Elemental swipes at her, dealing substantial damage as it apparently lands a critical hit. The blow draws out a cry of pain, which grabs Sora's attention entirely. He targets that Granite Elemental, completely ignoring the three in front of him. He sprints towards his new target, blocking out the pain from the three hits he sustains, and leaps at the object of his wrath. He bludgeons the Elemental in the face with his shield before somersaulting from its shoulders. The force of the attack causes the Elemental to fall, and as Sora falls after it, his Shadowbane shines with a bright golden light. He races towards the falling Elemental with shocking speed, and executes five slashes that trace out a pentagram, which rotates itself and collapses in on the Elemental before detonating outwards with explosive force, blasting it to pieces. Sora heals Sachi again, while his irises quickly turn crimson as his emotions spike. 

“Tetsuo! Catch!” He hurls his shield at Tetsuo, not waiting to see if he even heard the shout. The shield decapitates a Dark Dwarf Miner before Tetsuo catches it and slams another Miner away, and retreats back to Kirito and Sasamaru for better protection. Sora draws out his second sword, revealing an eighty centimetre forest green blade. _The chains are off now, time to end this shit_. He seems to vanish on the spot for a moment as he launches himself back towards the three Granite Elementals that hurt him last. With blinding speed, he executes a series of ten slashes, tracing out a pair of pentagrams that flash brightly, and the Granite Elementals crumble out of existence. Even as they die, Sora is already in motion again, vaulting over a single Dark Dwarf Miner to land in the midst of six of them. One gets a hit in before all six are ripped apart by Locus Hexedra. He races off once more into another trio of Granite Elementals that are shredded by Infernal Raid. Kirito can only stare in awe at Sora's frenzy. _He possesses Sword Skills that use two swords? This must be the information that Korrel was supposed to find out. Is it going to be enough though? He's constantly throwing himself into the thick of the enemies, taking a lot of damage in the process. His armour's good, but these monsters are strong, too. We need to end this battle immediately, or we'll lose Nebula!_ Kirito isn't the only one in awe of Sora. Keita is so completely engrossed in Sora's rampage that he has stopped fighting. With no directions coming from him, Sachi takes command of the situation.

“Rally on Sora! Let nothing reach him!” The Black Cats respond to this cry, though Ducker has to drag Keita along to get him moving, at least until Keita finally returns to his senses. They work together as a unit to try and keep Sora covered, but with the boy's speed and unpredictable ferocity, this is extremely difficult. He seems to switch between targets after every attack, and in several cases he doesn't even make an attack before changing his priorities. Over all he seems to be most focused on fighting Granite Elementals, but he also has a bad habit of veering away from them at the last moment, allowing them to land glancing blows upon him. Kirito's superior strength and Sachi's sheer desperation are the only things that are keeping the group close enough to Sora to keep him from getting killed, but his health is still being whittled towards the red at a shocking pace even in spite of the third Healing Crystal that Sachi manages to use on him, and it doesn't take long for her to notice the toll that Sora's exertions are taking. Sora's breathing becomes more and more ragged, and his co-ordination and reflexes are diminishing. Sora himself is aware of this. _I can't breathe... I can barely see. My whole body is screaming at me... but I can't stop. If I stop... we all die. I have to go on. Fight it! Fight through it, Sora! If you can't beat this, you can't beat the game. If you can't beat this, you can't protect Sachi. Keep going! Keep fighting! Even if you die, keep fighting!_ Such is Sora's exhaustion that he doesn't notice that monsters have stopped spawning in, but there are still too many threats around for him to risk holding back or slowing down. He barely evades a vertical swipe from a Granite Elemental, before leaping at it and kicking it in the chest with both feet, launching himself towards another Granite Elemental. He tucks himself into a roll and immediately goes into another Infernal Raid, trying to block out the pounding in his chest, the dull throbbing in his ears, the blurring of his vision, the way the world spins around him drunkenly. He buries all of it to keep fighting on, no matter how hard it becomes for him to breathe. With monsters no longer spawning in, the Black Cats renew their efforts to fight the remainder, Kirito and Sachi pushing almost as hard as Sora is. As hard as they fight however, Sora is still taking hits, his health getting dangerously low. Before long, only one Granite Elemental remains, which Sora hits with Locus Hexedra, before drunkenly tackling it to the ground, beating away at it with the pommels of his swords until it disintegrates. He staggers to his feet again, searching around for threats that no longer exist. He tries to force himself to breathe, but the action never seems to bring any relief to him, as though he is breathing pure Carbon Dioxide. His vision has faded to the point where he can't see that the chamber has returned to a bright, pale blue hue, or that the entrance has re-opened. He can barely recognise Sachi standing before him. He can't feel her grabbing his shoulders or calling out to him. All he can hear is a constant throbbing drone. Exhaustion overwhelms him, and consciousness abandons him.

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**June 22nd 2023 – 2247 AST  
Floor 21 – Solaria – Moonlit Black Cats' Headquarters**

Tetsuo looks up as he hears someone coming down a flight of stairs, and Sasamaru enters the room, where Keita, Ducker and Kirito also wait anxiously.

“How is he?” Sasamaru shakes his head sadly.

“Hard to say. His breathing has returned to normal, but he's still unconscious. There's no indications as to when, or even _if_ he could wake up again.” Ducker folds his arms with a frown.

“I don't get it. Why did he even pass out, anyway? This is a game. We're not breathing anything here, we're not controlling physical bodies. Nothing should really have this kind of effect upon us.” Sasamaru hazards an explanation.

“The Human body can be quite easily tricked. Think about how a Haunted House at a theme park works. Your body can tell that you're on a slope, but your eyes tell you that you're standing on level flooring. The conflict between these two sensory inputs causes many people to feel ill in such a place. I think something similar has happened here. You've all felt it too. Whenever we fight, our pulse increases and we breathe harder. It's because what we're sensing is enough to trick our physical bodies. Nebula is younger than us, remember. He also pushed himself far harder than the rest of us. I've never seen anything even close to this from him before. Sachi says it was well beyond his reaction to Gramus as well. This unprecedented level of exertion must have played havoc with his physical body. Even if it's just his heart and lungs that were responding to the stimulus, they were being pushed to work harder than they had any real reason to. Then again, with the situation being what it was, maybe his heart and lungs _weren't_ the only things affected. There could have been all kinds of involuntary muscle activity, enough to trick his body into producing high quantities of Carbon Dioxide in response to his virtual endeavours. I can't be sure of course, but this is my theory all the same. We've all encountered this trickery, just not to the same level that Nebula did today.” Keita licks his lips nervously.

“But he'll pull through, right? He'll recover from this, won't he?” Sasamaru glares at Keita.

“Nebula's determined not to die on Sachi, so I'd imagine he'll rally round. He's strong, but that doesn't make him indestructible. He shouldn't have even been in this position if you had just listened to him!” Keita flinches as Sasamaru's anger spikes, allowing the latter to continue.

“He told you that we shouldn't push ahead of our usual hunting grounds. Sachi and Kirito said it as well. We should not have rushed to Floor 27 just yet, just because things have been going well for us these past few days. This is a death game, Keita. You can't be so reckless with all our lives on the line just because things look like they're improving. At that chamber, there again, you made things worse. You know what Ducker's like when he gets egged on, but you stoked him anyway. Sora tried to warn us of the danger but because of you, that trap got activated. Five hit points. That's all he had left, and the rest of us weren't much better off, because of you, because you failed all of us as our leader.” Keita cowers away in the face of Sasamaru's hostility. Kirito speaks up as his own guilt becomes too much for him to bear.

“I'm just as much at fault for what happened today.” Tetsuo turns to Kirito in confusion.

“What are you talking about? You did everything you could to help out.” Kirito shakes his head.

“I've been lying to you, all of you, since the beginning. I'm not Level 38 like the rest of you, but Level 47. Even when I joined you, I was already Level 42. I didn't want to let my Level get in the way of things so I kept it a secret, but I shouldn't have. I could have done more to help you all get stronger before this happened. I could have used more of my knowledge of the frontlines to make sure that this situation didn't turn out the way it did, but I didn't.” Ducker looks hurt by the revelation.

“You've been lying to us?” Keita, sensing a lifeline, seizes upon the confession.

“You've been deceiving us, this whole time. Three weeks you've been with us, toying with our trust in you. This whole thing could have been avoided. You had no right being here. You have no right to remain. I'm sorry, but I have to remove you from this guild.” Kirito stands with a heavy sigh.

“I know. I don't deserve to be here with the rest of you.” He leaves before anyone can try to stop him. Sasamaru stares dumbfounded for a moment before giving chase. By the time he makes it outside, Kirito has already Teleported away. Sasamaru storms back in to confront Keita again.

“Seriously?! Keisuke, what the Hell?!”

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**June 23rd 2023 – 0114 AST  
Floor 30 – Cinderfell Forest**

Kirito treks through a forest of scorched trees, ash falling from the pitch black sky like a blizzard. Orange glows in the distance mark raging fires, while smaller glows move about the forest slowly, organically. The outline of buildings barely stands out against the darkness, but Kirito is able to discern them and navigates his way towards a sturdy gate, ten metres high. As he passes through the gate into a burnt out settlement, he receives a mail notification. He hesitates as he sees the sender: Nebula. After several anxious moments, he finally opens the message.

“Kirito, I just heard about what happened. I'm sorry. Truly, I am. Keita had no right to kick you out like that. He was just using you as a scapegoat to avoid taking responsibility for his own mistakes, his sheer incompetence as a leader. You did nothing wrong. You tried to help us as best you could. You tried to warn Keita, and you fought hard to make sure no-one died. No-one has any right to ask any more of you than that. It was Keita's fault that this expedition went so awry, not yours. I refuse to let you take any of the blame for that, though I get the feeling you'll insist on taking blame anyway. I won't blame you. Sachi and Sasamaru don't either. Nor do Tetsuo or Ducker, all in all. Just Keita, because he cares more about clinging onto his position than on doing what is right. His days as leader of the Moonlit Black Cats are numbered. He's not fit to lead us, but getting him removed will take the consent of all the current members, and both Ducker and Tetsuo are hesitant to take such a drastic step. I can't blame them. There's a chance Keita might step down on his own, but I fear he'll need to be removed by force. I just hope it doesn't take another major incident to remove him. With Keita's track record, the next incident could cost someone their life. In this game, that's a permanent consequence. I pray that never happens. Look after yourself, Kirito. Even more so now that you've gone back to being solo. If you ever need any help, you know where to find us. You only have to ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a pivotal moment for Sword Art Divergence. Most SAO fans know what happened to the Moonlit Black Cats on June 22nd 2023, in the Floor 27 Labyrinth. But this is an alternate universe, and they have Sora in their midst possessing the Dual Blades Unique Skill. As a result of this, the incident cannot proceed in exactly the same way, as with the battle against Illfang.
> 
> Writing that scene was pretty difficult for me and I'm still not convinced I've done a good job with it. It's such a chaotic scene after all, and trying to summarise it all as clearly as possible was a challengre, but I don't see myself doing any better, unfortunately.
> 
> This chapter is important for more reasons than simply the incident on Floor 27. Once again, we have a demonstration of Keita's flaws, another step along the road that I've paved to lead up to something. We've also had additional demonstrations of both Sora's and Sachi's abilities to command the Black Cats and get a response without question. This too is important. By now most readers can probably make a reasonably accurate theory about what will happen in the future with the Moonlit Black Cats. You will be able to find out how close your prediction was in the next chapter: The Straw That Breaks The Camel's Back.


	6. The Straw That Breaks The Camel's Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a desperate effort to cling onto his position as guild leader, Keita proposes an expedition to Floor 33's Magmatys Caverns. It is a dungeon they have cleared before, and they have since grown much stronger, yet the dungeon still holds value for each member. Sora voices caution over a potential danger with the expedition: a higher level branch of the dungeon known as the Onyx Passages. Despite this, the expedition gets underway, but the progress is much too fast for Keita's liking. Fuelled by desperation and convinced of his own conclusions, Keita forces a decision, one which has fatal consequences.

**June 23rd 2023 – 0918 JST  
Tokoruzawa Hospital**

Taro, Mikoto and Dr Samson sit around a small table together. The three are accompanied by another doctor; a male in his very early twenties with short white hair and light blue eyes. This doctor speaks with Dr Samson.

“I've finished looking through the reports. There is only one other hospital reporting patients with the symptoms you describe, though not quite as severe a level. Keisuke Takahashi, Sasaki Maruyama, Tetsuhiro Kawakami and Yoshio Tachibana all seem to have shared the same experience in Sword Art Online, along with one other patient of the same hospital, a Kazuto Kirigaya. None of these five required intervention however. Whatever happened to them affected Sora the most, it would seem.” Dr Samson reflects upon this. He has dark circles around his bloodshot eyes, and his skin has become quite pale.

“I see. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say that Sora and his friends, and this Kirigaya person, must have encountered some kind of trap within Sword Art Online. Something that pushed them into a situation more harrowing than a Boss fight. Sora's reaction yesterday was significantly worse than the March 3rd Incident. Though, what can be more horrifying than dropping three unsuspecting and unprepared players into a Boss fight is beyond me. I can't imagine anything worse than that, given that more people were involved, and yet that seems to be what happened. For Sora's response to be greater than everyone else's however tells me that he was fighting hardest, and possibly that he was the most afraid.” The younger doctor poses a question.

“How is he faring?” Dr Samson sighs heavily.

“It's difficult to say with any real certainty. I had to run a course of pure Oxygen to clear out the Carbon Dioxide build-up. There doesn't seem to be any lasting damage that I can discern, but I'm in no way capable of telling if his brain was affected. Function appears to be normal according to the equipment, but only Akatsuki and the others are going to be capable of learning the true extent of the damage, if there is any. His pulse and respiration have returned to normal, so that's something. I'll keep him on a saline drip for a little longer to replace the salts and fluids he lost from the ordeal. I'm going to need to keep a close eye on him all the same. I've noticed that he has palpitations on occasion. They're irregular and fairly rare, but the fact that they exist at all has me worried, given his condition.” The younger doctor raises an eyebrow.

“You think the ordeal may have exacerbated his ALS? That it might have shortened his remaining time?” Dr Samson shakes his head uncertainly.

“I don't know. I hope not, but I can't be sure. Perhaps it's because of the ALS that he's started having palpitations, or perhaps it's the ordeal that set them off. All I know is that I have to keep an eye on him.” The younger doctor stands.

“I understand. Is there anything else you need from me?” Dr Samson shakes his head.

“No, thank you, Shiro. I've taken up enough of your time already. You have your own patients to see to without running errands for me as well.” The young doctor nods, and takes his leave. Mikoto looks pensive.

“So it was just Sora, his sister and their friends, and one other player... on the upside, no-one died from this incident, but the impact upon Sora could mean trouble down the line, if similar incidents happen, for example.” Taro leans back in his seat.

“The only thing I can think of is some kind of multiple trap situation. An area that seals players in, prevents all forms of escape, spawns a swarm of monsters... possibly other detriments as well. That's the only thing that comes to mind that could possibly be worse than fighting a boss. They survived it, though, so with any luck they won't encounter such a problem ever again. They'll learn from the mistake to avoid making it again.” Dr Samson doesn't look entirely relieved.

“That may be. Certainly Sora will learn from this fastest, and to the greatest degree. Such is the way his mind works. So I _do_ believe that they won't make the same mistake again. What worries me is what will happen in the future. Keisuke, in particular, worries me.” Mikoto turns to Dr Samson.

“Keisuke? Their leader? Why's that?” Dr Samson clasps his hands together.

“While he has a lot of experience leading his friends, that doesn't necessarily mean he's a good leader. It seems to me more like they've just gotten used to having him in charge. I guess that, since their games don't normally have any serious ramifications, they've never really had to worry about his leadership capabilities. If they'd ever participated in tournaments, it's unlikely that Keisuke would ever have remained as leader. He's decently intelligent I suppose, but not nearly as sharp as Akatsuki, let alone Sora. His powers of observation are quite lacklustre, in Sora's own words, and he doesn't hold up well under persistent opposition. Akatsuki has also noted that Keisuke has a stubborn insistence once he has convinced himself of something. He refuses to believe that he could be wrong in spite of evidence, until reality hits him. They've both put up with it until now since it's essentially harmless, but... now they're in SAO. Keisuke's shortcomings may cease to be harmless.”

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**June 30th 2023 – 0829 AST  
Floor 21 – Solaria – Moonlit Black Cat's Headquarters**

Sachi enters the living room of the Black Cats' Headquarters, where she sees Sora sat at a small table, looking as if he's waiting for something. She smiles at him.

“You're up early today, li'l bro.” Sora shrugs casually.

“Well, this day only comes around once a year, that's why.” Sachi frowns.

“Hm? What's so special about today?” Sora stares at her questioningly.

“Seriously? How can you not know what today is?” Sachi checks her in-game clock.

“June 30th? Yeah?” Sora facepalms.

“It's your birthday, Onē-chan! Your sixteenth birthday! How in the world can you forget about that?” Sachi falters as the realisation sinks in.

“Ah, oh yeah, so it is. Sorry, I've had other things on my mind. Like Floor 27...” Sora waves a hand dismissively as Sachi trails off.

“You _need_ to stop thinking about that. I'm fine. We all are. It was dicey, but we pulled through because we worked together. Anyway, enough about that. Today is about you. So you can start by opening your presents.” Sachi raises an eyebrow.

“I have presents?” Sora nods.

“Of course you do! What kind of brother would I be if I didn't get presents for my sister's birthday?” He reaches beneath his chair and pulls out a pair of small, wrapped boxes, placing them both on the table before him.

“Ta-da!” Sachi moves over and sits beside Sora. She takes the presents but seems hesitant to open them.

“You shouldn't have...” Sora gives a small sigh.

“You say that every year. And every year I give the same response.” Sachi recites from memory without any uncertainty.

“You always say 'You are my only sister.' I still can't come up with a counter to that.” Sora sits silently with a bemused expression as Sachi finally opens the presents, revealing a necklace and a bracelet. The necklace consists of a fine silver chain and a pendant depicting azure angel wings. The bracelet is two bands, one silver and one azure, that coil around each other. As Sachi examines the items, she notices that they have effects, status bonuses.

“Agility +20, Weapon Defence Bonus: 2.0x, Cool-down Bonus: 2.0x, Battle Healing +18... Sora... where did you get these? They must have cost a fortune.” Sora shakes his head.

“I didn't buy them. I made them.” Sachi looks stunned.

“Made... is that why you became Lisbeth's apprentice?” Sora looks distant.

“Well, not just that. I _do_ want to learn more about Blacksmithing, but I'll admit that my main motivation was Custom Items, especially for today. I was hoping to make a new spear for you as well, but I'm not quite skilled enough for that. I've only just learned how to make small-swords. Jewellery items I've gotten good at making though.” Sachi looks again at the necklace and bracelet. _There's no denying that. The craftsmanship on these is masterful. The intricate details, even the subtle shading of the azure hues..._ A thought occurs to Sachi.

“Skye Crystals... this is what you wanted them for?” Sora nods.

“Azure is your favourite colour, after all. Since I was able to get so many Skye Crystals, I was able to put them to really good use.” Sachi embraces Sora tightly.

“Thanks, li'l bro. This means so much to me.” Sora doesn't attempt to struggle against this as he often does. Instead, he allows the embrace to convey all of the emotions and thoughts that Sachi is unable to put into words. From a shadow beyond the doorway, Sasamaru watches with a pained expression, envy coursing through him. _I lost out again this year, then. There's just no getting ahead of Sora, it seems. No matter how hard I try, I can't surpass him. It's not fair. I know I have no right to complain, and I hate myself for doing so... but it's not fair_. Sasamaru feigns a smile as he steps into the light, hands behind his back in a nonchalant gesture.

“Sora hit the jackpot then, I take it?” Sachi turns to face Sasamaru, and smiles.

“Well, I guess you could say that. Certainly he caught me off-guard this time around. Never expected him to use his position as Lisbeth's apprentice to go for Custom Made items. I'd even forgotten about my birthday, what with everything that's happened lately.” Sasamaru's pride suffers an additional blow.

“Custom Made? My, we have gone above and beyond, haven't we? I should have figured. Skye Crystals, a personal project. It was staring me in the face and I overlooked it. Live and learn, eh? Well, since today's a special day, I guess that calls for a special meal. Time for me to reveal my own secret weapon, then. I might not be able to make Custom Items, but I _can_ make good food.” Sachi raises an eyebrow.

“You've been training the Cooking skill?” Sasamaru tries his best to emanate pride at this.

“Of course! I just cleared the halfway mark last night, so you can count on me for your culinary needs!” _After all, I've been wanting to cook by your side for a little over two years now. My best chance to accomplish that is right here, in SAO_. Sachi lets out a low whistle.

“I'm impressed You've even managed to overtake me in that Skill. Then again, I've been focusing on Two-Handed Battle Spear, Acrobatics, Sprinting and First Aid lately. Well then, I guess that makes you Head Chef.” Sasamaru manages a genuine smile at this praise, and savours it for as long as he dare before moving on.

“Well then, I'd best not delay in getting the ingredients together. Strike while the iron's hot, and all that.” Sora looks over.

“Do you need any help?” Sasamaru shakes his head.

“That's alright. Keita's been enlisted already, and Diavel's volunteered to provide additional support. We're not going into any dungeons, or onto any of the higher Floors, so the danger to us is quite low. Besides, if you come along, then Sachi will insist on coming too, and the Birthday Girl is supposed to relax today.” Sora looks intrigued.

“Diavel's helping out too? Well, I suppose that's alright then.” Sachi raises an eyebrow.

“What about Tetsuo? He's usually your back-up in combat.” Sasamaru offers half a shrug.

“He's doing a job for Lisbeth, and you know I can't get in the way of him spending time with a fellow Mace user. Ducker volunteered with them as well, since there's a high probability of traps being present. Well, more like he insisted, really.” Sora becomes more serious at this.

“He's pushing to come along? He's really that motivated?” Sasamaru misses Sora's point.

“Well yeah, of course. You know Ducker wouldn't miss out on an opportunity for mischief, and you've seen the way Tetsuo acts around Lisbeth for yourself.” Sora answers flatly.

“That's not what I mean. Ducker never volunteers for anything usually, unless it provides him with an opportunity to show off. This isn't a moment like that, though. Ducker doesn't mess around like he used to. Ever since Floor 27, he's been so serious, like he's a completely different person. He blames himself for what went down, now he's seizing every opportunity to level his Trap Disabling skill with both hands. While that's something he _does_ need to train, the way he's going about it isn't healthy. Remind him that he needs to take breaks every once in a while, and that no-one blames him for what happened on Floor 27. Both Sachi and I have already tried, but he won't listen to either of us. He might listen to you though. I hope he does, at any rate.” Sasamaru catches on, though he feels momentarily annoyed with himself for missing Sora's point initially.

“I'll see what I can do. In the mean time, try not to worry so much, and lighten up. Today is Sachi's birthday. Today should be a positive, fun-filled day. Worrying can wait for another day.” Sasamaru turns away before Sachi or Sora can say anything. As he leaves, Sora catches a glimpse of the package hidden behind Sasamaru's back. He thinks to call out, but decides against it. _He's not going to give Sachi her present? Or maybe... he wants to wait until later to do it. When she's alone, perhaps. I just hope he remembers this year. Last year... I never did find out how he managed to forget, or why he didn't give her the present late. Better late than never, after all. Sasaki can be hard to read sometimes, though._

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**November 2nd 2023 – 0919 AST  
Floor 21 – Solaria – Moonlit Black Cats' Headquarters**

Keita paces about nervously in his room. He has to clench his fists to keep them from trembling. _This can't go on. I can't cope with it for much longer if it does. I know Sora and Sachi are still angry with me about Floor 27. Trying to get them to agree to anything I say is an uphill struggle. Even deciding where to go for a meal can take hours as they dissect my suggestions, looking for some kind of catch. It's insane! It's not my fault that Floor 27 went so badly. If Kirito had been upfront about his level from the start... but those two refuse to see it, and Sasamaru isn't much better. He'll side with Sachi in a heartbeat, no matter what. His feelings for her couldn't be any more inconvenient, especially right now. I need to win them around. I need them to understand that I'm not a bad leader, that I have everyone's best interests at heart_. He stops pacing for a moment as an idea begins to formulate. _Actually... there's always Floor 33. Magmatys Caverns. It's one of the best dungeons in the game for loot without being at the frontlines. We'll have to avoid the Onyx Passages, of course, but the rest of the dungeon we can handle. We've done it before, once. Sora can get a lot of materials for crafting. Sachi can get potion ingredients. We can all get good exp and Cor. Ducker can train his Hiding and Searching skills. There's something there for everyone, really. A good, successful expedition here will show everyone that I'm not a screw up after all_. With a flame of resolve burning in his chest, Keita departs his room, heading downstairs to the living room, where the rest of his guild lounge at ease. He clears his throat nervously, which draws everyone's attention. He becomes painfully aware that Sachi, Sora and Sasamaru glare at him coldly, with a mixture of apprehension and distrust that threatens to extinguish his spirits.

“I've been thinking... we've come a very long way in the past few months. We've all grown so much stronger, and raised our skills so high as well. We're almost ready to rejoin the Clearers, almost, but we haven't really been on any expeditions for a while. So, what's say we go on one today? Nothing close to the frontlines, and not to anywhere we haven't been before. I was thinking we could pay another visit to Magmatys Caverns. There's a lot available there that could benefit all of us, in some form. Enemies that Ducker can train Hiding and Searching against. Materials that Sora can use in blacksmithing. Spices and other ingredients Sasamaru can use for cooking... that sort of thing. We've been through there before and we cleared it without too much trouble. We're all five levels higher than that now, with stronger armour and weapons, higher skills, better Sword Skills... what do you say?” Tetsuo seems the most amicable to the suggestion.

“Sounds fine to me. I kind of enjoyed fighting those Magma Crabs, in a way. They were slow enough for me to get good armour-breaking hits in without endangering myself, but they weren't so slow as to not be challenging. It can get a little toasty around there though, but I can also get more materials to further enhance my Graviton Star +37. I'm down for that.” Ducker shrugs non-committally.

“I'm not a fan of the heat, but I guess there are hotter dungeons. I'd prefer to train my Trap Disabling skill though, and there's nothing to practice that on in Magmatys Caverns any more. All the chests have been looted already. The only chests that remain are Flame Mimics. We know this much. Still, I guess it couldn't hurt to upgrade Hiding and Searching. Plus, getting more Smokerider Bat Wings would let me upgrade my Nightwing Kukri +33 higher. I guess I'm down for that then.” Sora raises the concerns that he, Sachi and Sasamaru have, while the latter two settle for studying Keita sceptically.

“On the surface, it's an acceptable proposal, but there's one flaw here, a potentially fatal one at that: The Onyx Passages. That's a higher level branch, one which we are incapable of handling. There's supposed to be a marker, a torch at the fork marking which path is safe and which is dangerous. We don't know how long it's been since a party last ventured into the Caverns, though. The marker, regardless of the form it takes, isn't permanent. We haven't found anything with infinite durability to use for this job. If there hasn't been a party in the area for long enough, the marker will be gone, and I don't think any of us here remembers which fork we need to take. It's been too long, and we've been to so many dungeons, some which look strikingly similar. Even if there _has_ been a party recently, will we be able to trust the marker? Some parties mark the safe tunnel, some mark the dangerous. If we don't know who marked it last and which tunnel was marked, we could end up going down the wrong tunnel. There's also the possibility that a Red Player could end up moving the marker. There's a lot of risk involved here. If we go down the wrong tunnel, we won't be able to turn back. High level monsters will swarm and surround us. The odds of being able to use Teleport Crystals are low. If we only go as far as the fork and no further, I can agree to this expedition, but travelling beyond this without knowing for sure which is the safest path... it's too dangerous.” Sachi and Sasamaru nod in agreement, leaving the ball in Keita's court. _Seriously? That's a little paranoid, don't you think? If we only go as far as the fork, is there really any point in going at all? The fork is quite early in the dungeon. We won't even be in there for an hour before we reach it. Half an hour, at the most. That's not worthwhile. But it looks like they won't back down on this matter. A good leader knows how to compromise. I guess I'll just have to see if I can come up with something else to make this expedition worth the time._

“Alright, I guess we can go that far, though it won't take us long to reach the fork. I guess if we're still up for more adventuring, we can always go to the Petrified Forest, or else visit the Stygian Pools. They're not as good for loot or experience, but they can fill the time so that we don't have a wasted trip. Well then, I guess we should make the necessary preparations, optimise our gear and so on. Let's meet up at the Teleport Plaza at 1030.” Keita sweeps out of the room confidently, feeling assured of his leadership abilities. Tetsuo rises first.

“Well, I guess that's that then. Magmatys Caverns... guess we're going to need to bring plenty of Burn Potions then, especially if we also go to the Stygian Pools. Better bring Paralysis Potions too, just in case we go to the Petrified Forest. I'd rather not use any Antidote Crystals just yet if I can help it since they're so expensive, but we might need them in case things go sideways. I guess I'll also need to switch out my accessories to boost my Debuff Resistance. How about the rest of you?” Ducker shrugs casually.

“I don't need to change anything. My cloak gives immunity to Debuffs, so I can leave that as is. My accessories are already optimised for my combat style, so those can stay, too.” Sasamaru stretches with a yawn.

“Aside from changing a ring, I don't need to do much prep work. I won't need Poison Resistance, so I can swap that ring for one that boosts Armour Penetration instead. I'll have to change my boots as well, since the terrain's kinda rough on Floor 33. I'll need all the stability I can get otherwise I'll end up putting myself at a disadvantage. I'd rather not risk handing myself a Fumbling status.” Tetsuo turns to Sachi, who answers before he can speak.

“I'm already fully optimised. I've spent all of this year being very careful about what armour and accessories I use and what I can get rid of. I've got a very versatile set-up, effective in all terrains and against all Debuffs, except Silencing of course. I still haven't found a resistance to that one yet. I'll be using Skypiercer +36 mostly, and I'll bring the Titan Hewer +39 as a back-up.” Sora offers his own comments as well.

“Since we're heading to Floor 33, I'll need to switch my shield. Knox +38 is good, but it doesn't hold up too well against fire attacks. My Rime Heater Shield +42 on the other hand is ideal for that. Shadowbane +50 is naturally going to be my main weapon, and Verdandi +48 will be the back-up, should I need to use that. The rest of my gear is fine, no need to switch anything else. I should probably stock up on a few more Healing Potions just to be on the safe side. I _am_ an aggro-magnet after all. I'll also let Liz know we're going out on an expedition so that she can keep a slot open for us this evening. We're guaranteed to need repairs done, no matter how smoothly things go. Better to ensure that gets taken care of today than leave it, just in case something unexpected crops up.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**November 2nd 2023 – 1107 AST  
Floor 33 – Magmatys Caverns Entrance**

Sora and Ducker lead the way through the first chamber of the Magmatys Caverns, weapons ready and senses sharp. Very little light filters in through the entrance due to the smoke-filled skies outside, and the only source of light inside the chamber is a number of dimly glowing rocks and crystals. The temperature is high but not yet uncomfortable. A deep rumbling pervades, but not loudly enough to drown out the movements of monsters. The flapping of leathery wings and scraping, scurrying sounds can be heard. Ducker moves off to the left, seemingly following the flapping, while Sora moves right towards the scurrying. Sasamaru and Keita join Ducker heading to the left of the chamber while Sachi and Tetsuo stay with Sora. When Ducker silently gestures, Sasamaru and Keita stop moving, holding their breath while Ducker continues to creep closer, though the pair have trouble seeing him as he seems to blend in with the darkness. Only Sora is able to see him clearly, as a result of having higher proficiency with the Searching skill. Sora moves a way ahead of Sachi and Tetsuo as well, though he lacks the skill necessary to disappear from sight. He doesn't have to move much further, before the source of the scurrying sounds comes into view. Despite the gloom, Sora is able to see the outlines of three huge beetles, two metres in height and six in length, shining brilliantly thanks to his Searching skill. He silently gestures behind him, relaying details of what he sees through a system of hand signals. He can see Ducker doing the same, communicating the existence of six large bats to Sasamaru and Keita. Sora waits while Ducker continues to push forwards, almost entering the midst of the cluster of bats that flutter around in a tight group. Even when Ducker gets within arm's reach, the bats still fail to notice his presence. He silently draws out a sleek black Tantō, chooses his target, and prepares a Sword Skill, the glow of which fails to draw attention. The closest bat loses its right wing in the first slash, and two more take off its head, earning a quick kill. Ducker is already retreating as his Hiding skill loses its effectiveness, and the remaining five bats chase after him. The beetles surge forwards too, before a blinding silver flash illuminates the darkness, and Sora within it, flipping the lead beetle upon its back. He thrusts Shadowbane into the beetle's face as Sachi vaults over her brother and drives her sleek spear through its heart, emptying its health bar rapidly. Tetsuo springs into action, bringing down his morning star with furious force that transforms much of the second beetle's elytra into a dense spiderweb of cracks and splinters, while Keita and Sasamaru set themselves to picking off the surviving bats. As Tetsuo finishes off the second beetle, Sachi leaps onto the third and thrusts her spear through the gap in the elytra, while Sora severs its head. Once the bats have been wiped out as well, Sora and Ducker carefully scrutinise the chamber, making sure that no threats remain before relaxing their guard.

“All clear.” Keita lets out a low whistle.

“Wow! That went even better than I dared to hope for. Not one of us took even a single hit point of damage. We've come even further than I thought we had.” Tetsuo turns to Ducker.

“That reminds me, how is it that you can go practically invisible, even while moving, but Sora can't?” Sora answers before Ducker can.

“It's because he's training the Sneaking Skill. It's an advancement of the Hiding Skill. Technically I unlocked it too, but I chose not to use it. I'm a tank, not a rogue, so it's no good to me. I'm thinking of getting rid of Hiding as well. Being Lisbeth's apprentice means I need a few skill slots for crafting and smithing. I've only got seven to work with, so I have to be very picky about what I train and what I get rid of. Looks like we get more every ten levels, but that also means I'll need nine more levels in order to gain one more skill slot. That's a lot of grinding I need to do, then.” Tetsuo looks momentarily confused.

“Oh right, I almost forgot you'd hit Level 41. So what skills are you rolling with?” Sora brings up his menu, more to check on his current proficiencies than to remind himself of his current skills.

“I've got Sword & Shield, Thrown Shield, Dual Blades, Battle Healing, Hiding, Searching, and Thrown Blade. I've also stored One Hand Weapon Creation, Metal Equipment Repair and Accessory Forging, which I switch in and out as I need them. It's lucky that I was able to get four of those Crystal Bottles of Kales'Oh back on Floor 3, but it means I can't level any more skills until I hit Level 50. Not unless I fancy going back to Floor 3 to try and get more Crystal Bottles, and the thought of farming for weeks or even months just to get even one does not appeal to me, no matter how handy it would be.” Ducker snorts at this.

“I _still_ remember Argo's expression when you told her you got four of those. She refused to believe it until you showed her, then she nearly passed out. I've never seen someone look so surprised before. She continued doubting her own eyes for weeks after that.” Sora shrugs.

“It _is_ pretty unlikely I guess, but not impossible. As far as I can tell there's no limit on how many Bottles a person can acquire, it's just that the drop rate is tiny. Or, it's _supposed_ to be tiny, anyway.” Sachi steers the conversation in another direction, clearly keen to get moving along.

“So what comes after this room again? It wasn't those Drakes, was it?” Sora shakes his head.

“No, the Soot-creeper Drakes don't spawn in this dungeon. There's a long, narrow passage next, as I recall. Seven Smokerider Bats, but they're pretty spaced out, so as long as Ducker can kill them without them raising the alarm, he'll be able to clear the lot. Then it'll be a large chamber with nine or ten Magma Crabs. I don't remember the exact number.” Ducker looks faintly surprised.

“You want me to take on all the Bats?” Sora gestures vaguely to Ducker's Tantō.

“You need the wings so that you can upgrade your Kukri enough to replace that Midnight Tantō. Besides, this'll also train up your Sneaking skill. You never know, maybe if you max that out you can unlock your very own Unique Skill. Argo reckons there's probably ten in total, so one could very well be stealth-related.” Ducker raises his hands in mock surrender.

“Alright alright, I guess I'll handle the bats. Sheesh, you had me sold just on the wings. You didn't have to dangle a Unique Skill in front of me to add further temptation as well. Still, I hope there's something like that for me once I max out Sneaking, or I'll be disappointed.” With enthusiasm to drive him on, Ducker leads the way out of the chamber, Sora following close behind. As she passes him, Sachi notices a look of disappointment on Keita's face. _Looks like we're progressing faster than Keita would like us to. That's too bad. He suggested this expedition. It's his own fault if he didn't think things through carefully enough. So we'll probably go to the Petrified Forest as well as the Stygian Pools after this then. Keita won't be satisfied with a twenty minute expedition, and we'll clear those other two zones very quickly as well_. A wall of heat interrupts Sachi's thoughts, the temperature suddenly spiking several degrees the moment she enters the corridor. The passageway is long, thirty metres or so, but too narrow to walk in formation, only single file. The ceiling of the passageway is six metres high, with small stalactites. The walls are pocked with smallish holes, some of which seep with lava, hence the temperature increase. The glowing molten rock provides improved visibility, but that doesn't stop Ducker from vanishing while the rest of the Black Cats hold their position. Sachi strains to see Ducker, but the rippling of the air caused by the heat-waves prevents her from seeing his ghostly outline. As such, she is surprised when the first bat is sliced in half. She never saw any sign of the attack, and Ducker doesn't materialise either. Sora reports back, keeping his voice low.

“One down already. His Phantom Blade skill is at its strongest ever. Still, he'd better not depend on it. That kill was the result of a critical hit.” With his superior Searching skill, Sora is able to see Ducker clearly, and monitor his progress closely. Ducker holds position for a moment, making sure that he has not been detected. Though the Smokerider Bats have adjusted their movement patterns to compensate for the loss of one of their own, they seem oblivious thus far of any hostiles. After a few more seconds of memorising the new movement patterns, Ducker resumes his push forwards, bringing the next Bat into his reach. A two-hit combo quarters and kills the Bat, and again Ducker holds his position while the remaining Bats adjust movements. Sora sounds less tense with his next report.

“Shadow Cross. That's more like it. That's the Sword Skill he needs to use. Fast, quiet, deadly. It'll kill those Smokeriders without needing a critical hit, and it doesn't put an end to his Sneaking the way that Triple Umbra did in the previous chamber. As long as he's patient enough to let the skill cool down each time, he'll get through easily without being seen.” As if to prove this point, Ducker kills the third Smokerider Bat in the exact same way. The fourth, fifth and sixth Bats also share this very same fate. When he reaches the seventh Smokerider however, Ducker performs his Phantom Blade skill again. The vertical slash carves deeply and deals severe damage, but not enough to be fatal. The Bat screeches deafeningly, causing Ducker to stumble back in shock and pain, and he becomes visible to all eyes. Sora flicks his wrist, and hurls a Throwing Pick the entire length of the passageway and into the last Smokerider Bat's left eye, finishing the job. The Black Cats regroup with Ducker as he dusts off his cloak. He looks at Sora sheepishly, earning a flick to the forehead.

“Patience is a virtue, _especially_ for Rogues. You really need to work on that.” Ducker pokes out his tongue and knocks a fist against his head.

“Teehee!” Sora fixes Ducker with a cold, emotionless glare, reminiscent of Sachi's death stare and maintains it until Ducker breaks out in a cold sweat and waves apologetically.

“Okay! I get it! I'll work on my patience, I promise!” Sora continues glaring for a few seconds more, before relenting. He looks over his shoulder at the others.

“You'll be up next, Tetsuo. Show our dimwitted Rogue friend how to clear a room _without_ messing it up.” Sora leads the way into the next chamber, then immediately moves to one side of the entrance, allowing the others to come in and spread out as well. Tetsuo moves to the front of the group, studying the chamber carefully as he plans out his next moves. The chamber is roughly circular, about forty metres in diameter, and about ten metres high. Visibility is high here owing to seven columns of lava falling from holes in the ceiling above into corresponding holes in the ground, presenting a hazard to players. Lava also cascades down the right-hand wall in a fiery imitation of a waterfall. Roaming about the chamber are ten giant crabs, three metres tall and about five metres at their widest. Each crab boasts a pair of strong crushing claws with a two metre reach. Their thick shells are the colour of dark chocolate, though glowing red magma courses through their veins visibly. Their undersides are much lighter, almost beige in colour. Tetsuo fixes his gaze on the nearest of the crabs, watching its movements and waiting for the perfect opportunity. After about forty seconds, the crab turns its back upon the entrance. Tetsuo races forward with surprising speed and leaps at the crab, using its rear left leg as a kind of stepping stone to launch himself upwards. His morning star glows silver as Tetsuo activates a Sword Skill, and brings the weapon down in a ground-shaking impact that fractures the Magma Crab's shell into a dense network of cracks. The crab lets out a shrill shriek of shock and pain, while Tetsuo drops behind it, swinging upwards with a fearsome vertical blow that nearly flips the Magma Crab over. As it teeters on its front two legs and its pincers, Tetsuo swings again, his morning star glowing cerulean as another Sword Skill is called into play. The Magma Crab is launched forwards by the single lateral strike, causing it to strike another crab and deal damage to both of them. For the already injured Magma Crab, this last bout of damage means death. Sora looks faintly impressed by this.

“Diamond Breaker and Foe Hammer. An effective combination for sure. Diamond Breaker has a slow cool-down, but Tetsuo's got plenty of skills to use in the mean time.” The second damaged crab races towards Tetsuo, following close behind a third crab. Tetsuo's shield glows silver as he prepares a skill all-too-familiar to Sora, and blasts the leading crab aside and onto its back with Shield Flip, before parrying a blow from the second crab. He closes the gap and catches the second Magma Crab in the face with a back-hand swing before executing a Sword Skill at point blank range consisting of six hammering blows that alternate between straight up and straight down. The crab tries to shake off the bludgeoning, only to take another hefty blow to the face that finishes it off. In the time it took to do this, the flipped crab finally rights itself, and two more crabs join the fray, with the remaining five not yet aware of the battle. Tetsuo flips the third crab again, but this time leaps after it, sweeping his purple-glowing morning star into a long vertical strike that spins Tetsuo twice as he falls towards the crab, bringing the weapon down upon the underside with tremendous force. The Magma Crab dies instantly as the critical hit robs it of health, earning Tetsuo a much-needed extra second to prepare himself for the next two attackers. He sidesteps the first of these Magma Crabs before spinning around and striking at the middle right leg, breaking the limb off in a single hit. He slides under the crab's companion to avoid being trampled, then clambers onto its back and darts forwards, and proceeds to hammer away at the joint between the crab's main body and its right pincer. After four jarring blows, the crab's right arm finally breaks away. The Magma Crab thrashes in pain and throws Tetsuo off its back, though Tetsuo appears to have expected this, his body already tucked ready for a roll as soon as he is launched airborne. He hits the ground with a roll, rights himself immediately, and brings his shield into the five-legged crab's face without needing to look. A blast of silver light sends this crab sprawling onto its back, leaving Tetsuo free to focus on the more heavily wounded opponent. A vicious thrust with the morning star halts the crab's charge, while a vertical blow upwards pushes it back a few steps. Tetsuo brushes a hammering pincer blow aside with his shield, before thrusting with his morning star again. Two more thrusts are made before the crab can recover and try to attack again, but Tetsuo moves faster and finishes it off with an edge-on strike with his shield. He spins around to face the five-legged crab, who tries to grab Tetsuo with both pincers, only to grab the air as Tetsuo leaps straight upwards. He lands on the left pincer and springs forward, bringing his morning star down upon his opponent's face with a devastating two-handed swing. The Magma Crab stumbles around drunkenly. Tetsuo's morning star glows royal blue as he prepares the next Sword Skill, taking advantage of his prey's status affliction. He strikes downwards with a brutal vertical strike before sweeping around for a lateral blow from right to left. He follows this with a crossing attack from top left to bottom right then top right to bottom left. He makes another vertical strike, this time travelling upwards, which sweeps into a lateral blow from left to right. Finally, he makes another crossing attack, from bottom right to top left and bottom left to top right. The Magma Crab bursts into polygons as its health bar empties. The remaining crabs are still unaware of the battle. Sachi can't help but be impressed with this.

“So _this_ is what happens when you let Tetsuo cut loose? No wonder he's able to rival you for aggro accumulation.” Sora shrugs.

“He's pretty good at that, I have to admit. Not as good as me though, which is why you've never seen it before. You're always kept too busy with covering my back to be able to see Tetsuo's smashing expertise. Still, I've never seen that eight-hit combo from him before. It must be a new Skill he's been wanting to try out.” Sasamaru steps forward.

“So how long do you think it'll take him to finish off the survivors?” Sora gets a mischievous smile.

“They're already dead, they just don't realise it yet. Tetsuo's not used any of his area attacks yet. He's got one in particular that can kill them all in a single hit.” Sachi looks at Sora in shock.

“Wait, he does? Since when was Tetsuo that strong?” Sora nods forwards.

“Just watch. You'll see what I mean in just a moment.” They all turn to face Tetsuo as he races forwards, his morning star glowing gold. The remaining Magma Crabs screech as they become aware of his presence and rush to meet him. Tetsuo leaps into the air and brings his morning star down with a mighty crash, but this time he strikes the ground instead. A golden shock-wave races along the ground, stopping all of the crabs in their tracks as Paralysis icons appear next to their health bars. The chamber continues to tremble, and a chorus of cracking and shattering fills the air. Sachi and Sasamaru see it first, and gasp in horror. A number of stalactites rain down from the ceiling, spearing into the ground and into the Magma Crabs. Rocky fragments explode outwards in all directions, skittering across the ground or bouncing harmlessly off of Tetsuo's shield. When the dust settles, only Tetsuo remains, waving a hand in front of his face to clear the air. Sora and the others head over to him, where he and Sora exchange a high five.

“Nice work, Tetsuo. Or should I call you 'Thor?' You've certainly got smashing down to a fine art.” Tetsuo puffs out his chest proudly.

“Well, I have to use my skills creatively in order to keep up with you, after all. Still, it went even easier than I expected it to. I didn't take any damage, not even from the debris just now.” Sachi moves a bit closer.

“So what was that eight-hit Sword Skill you used? Sora said he hasn't seen it from you either.” Tetsuo smiles.

“Of course not. I haven't used it in battle before. I haven't really had the opportunity to do so. It's called Double Jack, but I'm not sure why.” Most of the Moonlit Black Cats seems just as confused, but Sora offers an answer.

“It's probably a reference to the Union Jack; the flag of Great Britain. The flag consists of two overlapping crosses on a royal blue background. Given that your Graviton Star glows royal blue when charging the Skill, and given that it consists of overlapping cross-attacks, I think this is most likely the case.” Tetsuo looks intrigued.

“Huh, I never thought about that before, and now it suddenly makes a lot of sense. Interesting.” Sasamaru changes the subject, sensing that Sachi was about to do the same.

“We're not far from the fork now, are we? Were there any other opportunities for one of us to show off our progress?” Sora shakes his head.

“Not really, no. My memories of this place are coming back now, but I'm still piecing the whole thing together. There should be a short tunnel next. There's a side passage that leads to a hidden chamber with two chests, but one of those is a Flame Mimic. The other is empty. We don't need to bother with the Flame Mimic. It gives poor rewards. So we should continue straight on. There'll be two more rooms, one after the other, with a mix of enemies. Smokerider Bats, Magma Crabs, Giant Salamanders, and Flame Knights. We'd be better off working in pairs for that. Sachi and I, Tetsuo and Sasamaru, Keita and Ducker. I'll draw off the Flame Knights since they'll be the biggest threat. If the Smokerider Bats are dealt with early, that'll free us from being harassed by the most annoying monsters. It shouldn't take us long to get through. Four or five minutes per room, at the most, but given our progress so far we can probably clear both rooms in seven minutes combined.” The Black Cats form their pairs and move on, Sachi and Sora leading the way. Once again, Keita looks disappointed, and considers protesting. _This is going too fast. Much too fast. Seven minutes, and then we're done? I can't accept that! At this rate, even if we go to both the Petrified Forest and the Stygian Pools, we'll still be finished within an hour and a half. What else can we do to make this expedition more worthwhile? If only I could remember the layout of this dungeon. Maybe if I see the fork in person, it'll jog my memory_. He barely has time to even register that his guild has traversed the tunnel and entered the next chamber before Sora springs into action, flinging four Throwing Picks, one for each of the halberd-wielding warriors wreathed in fire. The Flame Knights aggro against Sora and chase after him as he moves towards a far side of the chamber, while Tetsuo and Sasamaru target a cluster of Magma Crabs. Sachi moves behind the Flame Knights, and with shocking speed and surgical precision, she lances each Knight in rapid succession, the spearhead slipping through gaps in their armour plates. The Flame Knights turn upon Sachi in rage, a fatal error. Sora explodes forwards and unleashes Lateral Pentagram, wiping them all out.

“Foolish mistake. One should never leave their back exposed.” While Tetsuo smashes away at the Magma Crabs, Sasamaru seizes a chance to lance some of the Smokerider Bats, with assistance from Ducker. Keita fights against the Giant Salamanders to keep them away from Ducker. Sachi and Sora soon join him, cutting a path through the Salamanders with sheer ferocity. Once the Smokerider Bats have been dealt with, Sasamaru assists Tetsuo with the Magma Crabs, utilising his greater reach to harass and injure the crabs while remaining behind Tetsuo's protection. Ducker joins the Salamander hunt, not that there's much left for him to do by the time he joins in, but his intervention keeps a distracted Keita from being injured. As Ducker finishes off a Salamander, it makes one last attack in its death throes, unleashing a torrent of flames at the pair. Sora appears between the two sides, seeming to materialise in the path of the flames, shield raised against the onslaught. The inferno strikes the frosty blue heater shield and splits into two streams that pass either side of Sora. Keita howls as he sustains damage, a Burn icon appearing next to his health bar. The torrent of fire expires, and Sora lowers his shield. Despite his defence, he has still taken some damage, but his Battle Healing is quickly regenerating his lost health. Ducker uses a Burn Potion on Keita, who then drinks a Healing Potion to recover his lost health. Tetsuo and Sasamaru come over, the Magma Crabs having been wiped out.

“Everyone okay?” Sora nods.

“Nothing major. Slight HP loss and one burn. The Salamanders' Death Burst can be a nuisance like that, but we're strong enough to tank it. The next chamber might take a little longer. Less Salamanders, but more Crabs and Flame Knights. No Smokerider Bats though, so that's something. Once again, I'll draw off the Flame Knights. Ducker; you can help Sachi with flanking the Knights. Your build is suited to taking advantage of weak spots like that. Keita; stick with Tetsuo and Sasamaru against the Magma Crabs. Make sure that Sasamaru is covered while he utilizes his reach advantage. We'll all surround the Salamanders and rip through them quickly, and hope that we can avoid dealing with another Death Burst.” Keita almost looks as though he might cry as the Black Cats push on relentlessly, clearly eager to get out of the caverns. As they enter the next chamber, the reason for this haste should become obvious to Keita, but his despair at the rate of progress renders him oblivious even to the sharp spike in temperature, which has now risen to around 50º Celsius. Ducker is first to comment on the heat.

“Holy cow! If it wasn't for our gear, I don't think any one of us would be able to handle this heat. It makes a Tokyo heatwave feel like an Arctic breeze!” Sora pats him on the shoulder.

“Just a little bit longer now. Once we clear this room, that's it. We can get out of here, cool off for a bit in town, before hitting the Petrified Forest. Give ourselves more time to cool down before we take on the Stygian Pools. Those'll be more bearable later in the day anyway. Let's see if we can set a record for clearing this next chamber. The first person to take damage buys everyone else a round of drinks.” Motivated by the prospect of drinks and cooler temperatures, the Black Cats divide into their two teams and push on towards the enemies that spawn in. Instead of using Throwing Picks, Sora dashes towards the cluster of seven Flame Knights. With speed and manoeuvrability on his side, he weaves amongst the Knights, striking each of them once apiece and drawing their attention away from everyone else. They advance on him, backing him into a corner, completely oblivious to Sachi and Ducker. Sachi's spear glows silver as she prepares a Sword Skill, and propels herself like a rocket towards the Flame Knights. She thrusts her spear with devastating force into the spine of the far right Knight, launching it forwards towards Sora, who spins around and strikes it with Shield Flip. The blast of silver light sends the Knight back to Sachi, who lances it in the head to kill it. Ducker materialises behind another Flame Knight as he executes Triple Umbra, erasing its health with a critical hit. Two Flame Knights turn on Sachi, and two more target Ducker, who looks concerned with the turn of events. 

“Uh oh.” The sole Flame Knight who remained focused on Sora lunges at the boy, who brushes aside the Halberd with his shield before closing the distance. A single Horizontal Square takes down this Flame Knight, freeing Sora to assist Ducker, while Sachi annihilates both of her Flame Knights with Crescendo Rush. Sora slashes at both of Ducker's Knights, but only one breaks focus and turns on him. Sora sidesteps the attack, shifting his focus to the other Flame Knight and laying into it with a sharp thrust and two more slashes, finally achieving the desired result of distracting it, while Ducker chains Shadow Cross with Phantom Blade to take out the other Flame Knight. The remaining Flame Knight strikes at Sora, who stops the Halberd dead with his shield. While the Flame Knight attempts to hook the shield and wrench it away, Sora slashes at the Flame Knight's throat, severing its head. At the precise moment the severed head hits the ground, a powerful tremor shakes the chamber. Sora looks over to Tetsuo's group and sees three Magma Crabs lying on their backs, legs flailing uselessly. Stalactites perforate two of the crabs, while Sasamaru finishes off the third. Only Salamanders remain, four of them, surrounded by the Moonlit Black Cats. The Salamanders surge towards Tetsuo, his area attack apparently being enough to aggravate them. He blasts one aside with Shield Flip, before using Foe Hammer to send another flying towards Sora, who kills it with Lateral Pentagram. Sachi lances away at the flipped Salamander, while Keita intercepts another Salamander, keeping it at bay with his shield while Sasamaru strikes at it with his spear. Ducker stabs furiously at the fourth Salamander's right leg, needing to land six hits before it becomes infuriated enough to try and attack him. Ducker sweeps himself under a tail swipe, retaliating with an arcing vertical slash that rears the Salamander onto its hind legs, exposing its underside. Sora hurtles into view, driving his Vorpal Strike directly into the Salamander's heart before blasting it out of existence. Sachi's Salamander rolls itself upright, only to be struck across the face with the shaft of the spear with a meaty thwack, the simple blow being more than enough to rob the Salamander of its last remaining hit point, while Tetsuo pulverises the sole survivor, hammering it into the ground until it too dies. Sora glances around, observing his friends, noticing that none of them have taken any damage.

“Well then, it looks like we're all buying our own drinks then. Oh well. I'd rather have that than have any of us getting hurt, to be honest. I guess we're done here now then.” Keita begins marching off on his own.

“We can at least _look_ at the fork before making that decision. I might be able to remember which is the safe path if I see it.” Sora calls after him in exasperation.

“And if you don't? Then what? I've already said that we can't trust the marker, if there's even one in place.” Keita doesn't answer, and so the others are forced to follow him. They enter into a long and winding tunnel, still blisteringly hot, but devoid of hostiles. Before long they come to a fork. Both paths look identical. Both feel just as hot as the tunnel they're currently in. The only thing that sets them apart is that the right-hand tunnel has a torch mounted against one wall. Keita studies the fork for a moment, glances at the torch, and nods with satisfaction.

“Ah yes, that looks right. The torch is marking the safe tunnel, I'm sure of it.” Sora hesitates, something nagging at his mind.

“I'm not convinced. Something feels wrong about this. I don't remember us taking a right-hand fork this early on. I'm pretty sure that's the dangerous path.” Keita shakes his head.

“No no, that's not it. It just _feels_ like we've gotten here too early because we've progressed so much faster than last time. This _is_ the right tunnel, I just know it.” Sora looks far from convinced.

“Let me check in with Argo, just to be on the safe side. She might have a current map of this dungeon.” Keita begins walking down the right-hand tunnel, ignoring Sora's suggestion.

“There's no need. It's this way we need to go. Argo doesn't have many accurate maps anyway. Besides, this whole argument that people might mark the dangerous tunnel makes no sense. It's the safe tunnel that gets marked. That's just common sense.” Sora is so shocked that Keita would push on so relentlessly that he doesn't react immediately. He exits out of his menus and pursues Keita with a frantic protest.

“Wait! Keita! Damn it, stop already!” Sachi follows after her brother, and the other Black Cats fall in behind as well. As the path bends, it also narrows, hampering movement. The floor becomes greatly uneven and rocks protrude at varying heights, often requiring the players to scramble on all-fours. Despite this, Keita progresses quickly.

“There's no need to wait, Sora. It's this way, I know it is.” Sora tries frantically to keep up, but his small stature and his haste delay him.

“Damn it, Keita! You don't know that! This isn't the way, how can you not recognise that by now?” Keita ignores the boy, forging ahead relentlessly. Sachi and the others have come to realise the error as well, but there is nothing they can do. They cannot overtake Sora, so they have no hope of catching Keita. Before long the tunnel opens out into a large chamber, roughly forty metres wide and about thirty metres long. As soon as he is able to, Sora sprints after Keita, who is already nearly halfway through the chamber. Sachi and the others race into the chamber as well. Sora reaches Keita and grabs him by the arm.

“Keita!” No other words are spoken. None need to be. The situation presents itself menacingly. Keita has reached the centre of the chamber, triggering monsters to spawn. Many of them. Around twenty humanoids materialise. Standing two metres tall, the humanoids possess reddish-brown scaly skin, yellow serpentine eyes and dragon-like heads. They are all very muscular, all heavily armoured, and all range in level from forty-five to fifty. The Moonlit Black Cats are surrounded, and the creatures begin to close in mercilessly. Sora casts his shield aside and draws out Verdandi, resorting to dual-wielding immediately. He launches himself towards the nearest monster, identified as a Dragonborn Lancer, and begins assaulting it with every ounce of skill he possesses. _This is it. This is what I was afraid of. The nightmare situation. Don't think about it. Don't think about us being outnumbered. Don't think about the level disadvantage. Don't think about failure. Just fight. Fight with everything you have. Fight like your life depends on it, like Sachi's life depends on it, like everyone's lives depend on it. Because God knows, it really does. Don't give up, don't hesitate, don't hold back. Give it everything you've got and then give even more. Clear a space, earn breathing room. We can teleport out if we can get the chance. Give everyone that chance_. Sachi appears at Sora's side, assisting him against the Lancer. The rest of the Black Cats close in together and support each other in their battles, but the damage being dealt is depressingly minor. Sora pushes himself to move faster and fight harder. He uses only his shortest and fastest Sword Skills, creating a smooth skill chain that just grows longer and longer. Even so, the Dragonborns continue to advance relentlessly. With them pressing in, it gradually becomes harder and harder to consistently attack the same targets, and becomes harder and harder to block attacks. Sora in particular finds himself having to periodically skip trying to defend himself, trusting his build to allow him to tank some hits, praying that his Battle Healing can keep on top of recovering the damage he sustains. With pure desperation, Sora kills the Lancer and strikes hard at his next target: a Dragonborn Fighter armed with clawed gauntlets. His Vorpal Strike pushes the Fighter back a few steps, creating an opening.

“Ducker: go!” Ducker flinches at the suggestion, a part of him wanting to refuse the order. _I want to stay and help, but my build... I can't do it. I have to trust Sora and the others, then_. With a cry of frustration, Ducker pulls out a Teleport Crystal.

“Teleport: Furnassia!” Ducker disappears in a wall of blue-white light. The Dragonborns try to push in harder, surging forwards a little as the resistance to their presence diminishes, but Sora pushes himself ever harder to compensate for Ducker's absence. Doing so causes him to sustain damage faster however, more so than his armour and his Battle Healing skill can cope with. Sachi begins applying Healing Potions to Sora whenever his health starts getting too close to the yellow for her comfort, but in doing this she's less capable of lancing at the Dragonborns, and starts taking an increasing amount of damage too. Sora is able to observe this, and changes his tactics slightly. _My damage output simply isn't enough. No matter what I do, it won't be enough. In that case, I'll have to create space another way. The only other way available to me_. Sora prioritises Sword Skills like Vorpal Strike and Linear; skills that have knock-back effects on them. Even though the damage he deals drops significantly this way, he is better able to clear a bit of space, making it easier for him and Sachi to keep on top of healing one another without affecting their combat ability as much. As Sora lands a critical hit with Linear, pushing a Dragonborn Brawler into another Dragonborn Lancer, Tetsuo reaches for a Teleport Crystal. Keita does the same, and both make the same shout.

“Teleport: Furnassia!” Both players disappear before anyone can react. The Dragonborns surge in very hard all of a sudden, and create a divide. Sora realises the situation too late to do anything about it. He can only look on in horror as Sasamaru is isolated and surrounded by six Dragonborns.

“Sasaki!” All six Dragonborns attack in unison. As Sasamaru's health bar empties entirely, a sense of foolishness courses through him. _All this time I've been competing against Sora, and for what? I've been such an idiot. I'm sorry, little brother, for how I've treated you_. Sasamaru's avatar explodes into polygons. Sachi is horrified to see this and almost stops fighting. Sora's eyes turn blood red as his emotions cascade out of control. He launches himself at Sasamaru's killers, forcing himself to strike harder and faster with every attack, forcing Sachi to rush over to him. It is only when she sees his swords glow cerulean that she realises what Sora is doing. _Wait, Starburst Stream? But he hates that skill! Sora's lost all control of his emotions, he must have done. He's not able to think clearly._ Sachi throws her spear at a nearby Dragonborn Guardian, bringing out a fearsome Glaive with a substantially large and wide double-edged blade, crimson in colour. At the opposite end of the chestnut brown shaft is a sleek double-edged leaf blade. While Sora lays into the cluster of six Dragonborns before him with Starburst Stream, Sachi uses her Titan Hewer to try and keep her brother from receiving retaliatory blows, but it's no good. There are too many Dragonborns, and they're too strong. Sora's Starburst Stream only claims one life, and the post-motion delay leaves him vulnerable to several blows that drop him into the red. Sachi pulls him back and heals him.

“Get a hold of yourself!” It is unclear whether her words have gotten through to him. Sora still fights frantically, and his eyes are still blood red. Sachi takes a few hits, losing a lot of health in the process. As Sora moves to parry another attack aimed at Sachi, the blade of Shadowbane shatters, its durability giving out. With only one sword to hand, Sora's damage output plummets. It's all he can do to just stay alive for a little longer, but exhaustion is taking a serious toll upon him. The Dragonborns continue their ruthless advance. Fearing their end, Sachi turns to embrace Sora one last time. As she does so, a war cry rings out, and several Dragonborns are ripped apart.

“Show these scaly devils who's boss! Strike fear of the Fūrinkazan into their hearts!” Sachi looks over, to see a face that she barely even recognises, someone she hasn't seen since the launch of Sword Art Online. A team of players, dressed in Samurai armour in various shades of red, press their brutal assault against the Dragonborns, who seem to have forgotten that Sora and Sachi exist. Before long, only one Dragonborn remains. At Level 50, it is the highest level of them all, identified as a Dragonborn Champion. As one of the newcomers moves to engage it, Sora bars their path.

“No. This one is mine.” The newcomer falters, and Sora reclaims his Rime Heater Shield. Sachi flinches in shock as Sora faces off against the Dragonborn.

“But... you're hurt, and lower level-” Sora cuts her off.

“I have to. For Sasaki.” Sachi catches a glimpse of Sora's eyes. They are no longer red. _He's regained control of his emotions. Then... maybe he can do this_. Sachi nods.

“For Sasaki.” The newcomer backs away, sensing that his presence is highly unwelcome in this battle. The Dragonborn Champion charges towards Sora, striking hard with an exquisite hand-and-a-half longsword. Sora angles his shield to reduce the impact of the blow, while also side-stepping to put himself in a better position to make a retaliatory thrust into the gap in the armour at the Dragonborn's armpit. The Champion makes two slashes at Sora, missing with the first cut, the second being deflected. A quick slice to the left eye draws a frustrated hiss from the Dragonborn. It and Sora circle each other, guards raised, searching for any kind of opening. Klein moves next to Sachi.

“Is he going to be okay?” Sachi is silent for a moment as she watches Sora dance around three more attacks, possibly trying to infuriate the Dragonborn.

“He might be at a _level_ disadvantage, but not a skill disadvantage. Nebula is a swordsman of rare calibre, and he's getting better every day. By keeping himself on the defensive the way he is now, he's buying plenty of time for his Battle Healing to regenerate his health. He knows what he's doing. Besides, this is personal for him.” Klein looks faintly surprised.

“It's personal? What happened here?” Sachi's expression becomes deeply pained at this.

“We weren't supposed to come down here, but Keita; our guild leader, wouldn't listen to any of us, least of all to Nebula. Three of our guild managed to Teleport out, but Sasamaru...” Her voice catches, and tears threaten to break free. Klein doesn't say anything, filling in the blanks himself. _They lost someone. I'm guessing this Dragonborn Champion is the one who took that person away. What a horrible thing to have to deal with. Akihiko Kayaba has a lot to answer for._ The Dragonborn Champion snarls in rage as Sora gouges out its left eye, and starts hammering away at the boy with brutal strength, using both hands to add extra force to each impact. Sachi's knuckles turn pure white as she clenches her fists tightly, her body willing her to move to her brother's aid as he seems to struggle more and more with each jarring impact. He tries to keep his shield angled to reduce the force being imparted on him, but the Dragonborn's sheer strength still causes each blow to be devastatingly ferocious. Pain lances through his bones with each jolt, and his timing seems to be gradually getting worse. The Dragonborn raises his sword high in preparation for the finishing blow. In a flash, Sora drops his defence and switches to attacking, making a swift slash that severs the Dragonborn Champion's dominant hand. The Dragonborn snarls in shock as much as it does in pain or anger, and a thrust to the right armpit robs some more health. Sora moves in to make another attack until his instincts warn him to defend. Even with his shield, the roundhouse kick carries enough force to slide him back two metres. The Dragonborn takes advantage of Sora's position, and his flinch of pain, to leap forwards and make a fearsome dropkick attack. The blow proves too much for Sora's Rime Heater Shield, which fragments under the impact. The force of the kick knocks Sora onto his back, but as he hits the ground he brings his knees up to his chest, then kicks outwards explosively, spring-boarding himself upright once more. The Champion is caught unaware by this recovery and fails to defend itself from the laceration to the face. With a howl of anger, it strikes out at Sora again, only to be intercepted by Sora's sword, the blade glowing pale gold. Sora's Slant rips the Dragonborn's sword out of its hand, and a blow to the chest with Linear pushes it back a few steps. Sora is already in motion, pursuing the Dragonborn, who rears its head back. Sora's movements become a blur as he catches the falling hand-and-a-half sword and slashes once in passing. The Dragonborn Champion flinches, causing its freshly severed head to fall. Sachi rushes to her brother's side as the Dragonborn disintegrates.

“Nebula...” Sora waves aside her concern.

“It's not as bad as it looked. I needed to act as though I was struggling, in order to fool that bastard. Looks like it worked on you, too.” Sachi lets out a sigh of relief. It takes everything she has to avoid breaking down in tears in front of Klein and his guild. Klein steps forwards.

“Let's get you guys out of here before more monsters re-spawn. Looks like you two have been through more than your fair share already.” Sora nods but can't find the energy to say anything. He retrieves Sachi's Skypiercer, and then the pair walk with the Fūrinkazan. The whole journey, Sachi clings onto Sora, afraid to let him go, as if he too will disappear if she releases him. _My mind refuses to accept what has happened. I want to wake up and find out that this was all a horrible nightmare. Sasaki-kun... I never took the chances I had to truly thank him for supporting Sora and I these past few years. I ended up taking his presence for granted, and now... I can't make that mistake again_. The gust of cool air fails to make any impression upon Sachi, but the shout does.

“Sachi! Nebula!” She looks up, seeing Keita, Tetsuo and Ducker looking both relieved and worried at the same time. Keita looks about, noticing someone missing.

“Wait, where's Sasamaru?” Sora marches forwards, slipping away from Sachi. In a few strides he plants himself in front of Keita, and punches him in the face fiercely, earning himself an orange cursor.

“Can't you see? Can't you figure it out for yourself? He's dead, Keita! Sasamaru is dead, because of you! I told you we were going the wrong way. I told you we should check in with Argo, but you just wouldn't listen! What good is a leader who doesn't listen to his team? You were so desperate to cling onto your position and now look what has happened! Sasamaru is dead, and it's all your fault! Well no more! For the sake and the safety of this guild I'm calling a vote. A vote to remove you as leader of the Moonlit Black Cats!” Sora navigates his menus, tears streaming down his face as he creates the poll. He casts his vote, to remove Keita as leader. Sachi, Tetsuo and Ducker all receive their ballots. One by one, they all vote to remove Keita as leader, and the rank is stripped from him. Ducker speaks up with an empty voice.

“So... who will take over?” Sora wrestles his emotions under control.

“Sachi will.” Sachi flinches, surprised by the suggestion.

“Me? Wouldn't you be better at that?” Sora shakes his head.

“You know everyone here better than I do. Besides, I'm a frontline fighter. I'm frantic and volatile, acting on instinct and emotion more than on logic most times. That's not an ideal quality for a leader. You're more balanced than I am, and sitting further back allows you to see things more clearly than I can.” Sachi raises a hand in surrender.

“All right, but I'll only take the position if you agree to be my advisor. Deal?” Sora nods.

“I can agree to that.” With the decision made, Sachi is promoted to guild leader. Sora moves off to speak with Klein, while Sachi informs the others of what happened after they teleported away.

“I'm sorry you had to witness that, Klein. It had to be done though. Keita's decisions cost us too much this time.” Klein nods knowingly.

“I understand. This must be a really difficult time for you.” Sora is silent for a moment.

“It could have been so much worse. I don't think it's physically possible for me to express just how grateful I am that you and your guild showed up when you did. Sachi and I wouldn't have lasted much longer. Twenty seconds, maybe less. If we had died too... that would have been it for the Moonlit Black Cats. It would have destroyed the guild. So, you didn't just save Sachi and I, but you saved the others as well.” Klein shakes his head.

“But we couldn't save your friend-” Sora waves dismissively.

“You can't blame yourself for that. I won't let you. There's a limit to what you're responsible for, and this exceeds that limit.” Klein relents, sensing that trying to argue will be futile.

“So what will you do now?” Sora shakes his head uncertainly.

“I don't know. We'll hold a memorial ceremony for Sasamaru, I can say that much. After that? I can't say with any certainty. We'll need time to mourn, and time to recover from the battle. I lost a shield and a sword in all that fighting as well. So we'll probably take time to recuperate, before coming back stronger than ever. With Sachi in charge, we'll do it the right way, though I don't think we'll ever truly recover from this. Sasamaru was like family to us, especially to Sachi and I. Losing him is going to stay with us forever.” Klein doesn't know what to say to this, but a thought occurs to him.

“Say, would it be alright if I added you guys to my Friends List? If ever you need help, we'll be there. Despite what you insist, I still feel like I owe you guys.” Sora nods.

“That's fine with me. At times like this, we all need to look out for one another.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**November 2nd 2023 – 2121 JST  
Tokoruzawa Hospital**

Dr Samson sits at the table in Sora's private room, opposite Taro and Mikoto. An empty noodle cup sits before him, as well as a half empty cup of cold green tea. Mikoto studies Dr Samson with concern, noting his pale and drawn complexion, the dark bags under his bloodshot eyes, the creases in his skin that threaten to become permanent wrinkles. _I hope Dr Samson is going to be okay, but I guess ultimately that comes down to how Sora fares inside SAO. With every incident like today's, the strain upon Dr Samson increases. He needs a break, which means that Sora needs one too. I know this isn't deliberate, on Sora's part. He's just doing his best to survive, and to protect his friends and family. Something needs to happen to assist with that, though. Something needs to be done to make that task easier, for Dr Samson's sake. He barely sleeps, and he's under-eating as well. He's lost weight too. The whole ordeal has really aged him. At this rate, he'll start going grey soon as well. The strain is going to make it harder and harder for him to look after Sora and Akatsuki properly_. Taro leans back in his seat.

“I give up. Trying to figure out what happened today is proving impossible. It was shorter than the June 22nd Incident, and physically so much less intense, and yet the neural readings suggest that something major happened all the same. It doesn't seem to have been a boss fight, nor does it appear to have been something as sudden as a trap or any kind of ambush. All the signs suggest that whatever happened was something that Sora expected, and yet at the peak of the event; his reaction flipped 180 degrees. I just don't see how that adds up.” Mikoto shows no signs of being willing to commit to the speculation.

“At any rate, the incident seems to be resolved. Let's hope that this will be the last incident for a long time. The longer, the better.” There is a knock at the door. Dr Samson barely reacts to it.

“Enter.” The door opens, and Shiro enters. This earns a reaction from Dr Samson.

“S-Shiro... you're here?” Shiro closes the door and sits at the table, his expression grave.

“I've concluded the investigations, and the results were not appropriate to be discussed over the phone. Vic... there's no easy way for me to say this, but Sasaki Maruyama has died. He was pronounced dead at 1142 this morning.” What little colour remained in Dr Samson's face drains away at this. His expression is beyond devastated.

“...Oh, no. No... no, that's... that's terrible. I-It... it'll hurt Sora and Akatsuki so much. Out of all of them... Sasaki was the closest to those two. He... he was like a brother to Sora, and his obvious romantic feelings for Akatsuki... there's no way they'll recover from such a loss. Another loss. It's too much for them. They keep losing... everyone. Family... friends... and eventually even Sora will be lost. It's not fair. What have they done to deserve all of this?” Shiro has no words of comfort or consolation to offer.

“I'm sorry. I truly am.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**November 28th 2023 – 2046 AST  
Floor 35 – Mishe**

Sora and Sachi stand under a sheltered alcove with Argo, in a dead-end alleyway behind a number of five-storey buildings. Sora kicks off the meeting, businesslike and to-the-point.

“You say you've got something for us?” Argo nods, but seems hesitant.

“Only a rumour mind ye, so I can' charge ye anythin' fer it. I got no way o' verifyin' the info, but if true it'll be somethin' you'd undoubtedly go all-out fer.” Sora presses on, becoming slightly intrigued.

“Is that so? Go on.” Argo becomes visibly anxious.

“Well... like I say... it's only a rumour...” Sachi speaks up, somewhat impatient.

“That's okay. A rumour is better than nothing at all.” Argo sighs, knowing she can't escape this.

“Accordin' to the rumour, at midnigh' on Christmas Eve: an Event Boss'll appear. Nicholas the Renegade they call 'im. Supposedly, an' I can' stress the part abou' this bein' a rumour enough: if ye beat Nicholas, ye can get a revival item, an item tha' can bring back the dead. Thing is, I dunno where to look. The rumour don' specify.” Sachi lapses into silence, deeply pensive, but Sora speaks up.

“I think I know where to look. There's one place that comes to mind. Hard to find, hard to get to. Even the Clearers wouldn't find it without a map. If there's anywhere that such an item can be found, it's _there_.” Argo looks shocked by this.

“Ye know where to go? But-” Sora cuts her off.

“That isn't important. Argo, I need you to do me a favour. I need you to tell anyone who asks about this rumour that Nicholas the Renegade will spawn on Floor 26, in the Forest of Whispers. He won't, but I need you to tell people that he will, and Floor 26 is the most believable place aside from the truth. The fewer people there are looking in the right place, the better. It needs to be just Sachi and I.” Argo flinches as her surprise is renewed.

“Wait, you're plannin' on takin' it on yerselves? Jus' the two o' ya? That's nuts!” Sachi shakes her head.

“Sora and I are the strongest members of the Black Cats, and the best equipped. Bringing the others presents too much of a hazard. We can't endanger them on this mission, especially not for a rumour. In the end, it can only be the two of us. No more, no less.” Argo sighs, sensing the futility in trying to argue.

“Promise me you'll win this.” Sora nods.

“You have our word. We'll beat Nicholas and acquire the revival item. No other outcome is acceptable.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**December 24th 2023 – 2316 AST  
Floor 21 – Solaria – Moonlit Black Cats Headquarters**

Sora and Sachi navigate their menus, equipping weapons and armour as they make their preparations for the battle against Nicholas the Renegade. Sora's armour consists of a long indigo coat with silver trim, thigh and shin guards affixed over black trousers, boots covered with forest green scales, and plate-backed fingerless gloves. Six Throwing Picks sit within individual tubes on his black belt. At his left hip is a sword within a somewhat wide black scabbard. The up-swept cross-guard and teardrop pommel are both brass with lapis inlays, while the grip is an ivory colour, leathery material. Sora draws the sword and inspects the seventy-five centimetre leaf-blade, forest green in colour save for the silvery edges. The blade is seven centimetres at its widest points. He returns the sword to its scabbard before doing the same for his right-hand sword. This one has a seventy-eight centimetre blade, four centimetres wide for most of its length, save for the last eight centimetres that taper to the point. The blade has a strongly golden hue. The emerald green cross-guard forms a perfect S-shape, with knobbed terminals and hexagonal cross-section. Intricate silver inlays are etched artistically into the guard. The hilt is wrapped with fine, deep purple scales. The pommel is crescent shaped, with the points extending away from the hilt. Like the cross-guard, it is emerald green in colour with intricate silver inlays. Once satisfied with his inspection, Sora returns this sword to its scabbard as well, a deep purple affair with vibrant golden stripes and zigzags. While Sora equips a matching pair of black knives at the base of his spine, Sachi notices something missing.

“You're not using a shield?” Sora shakes his head.

“I'm not going to hold back against Nicholas. Not at all. A shield is just dead weight to me in a fight such as this. Mori no Kioku +45, and Hikari no Kioku +43, will be more than sufficient.” Sachi nods silently, understanding. _I should have known, but I just wanted to make sure. He raises a valid point, though. As skilled as Sora is with the sword and shield combo, he's just so much stronger with Dual Blades. His weapon defence will keep him sufficiently protected from harm, while the boosts to his attack speed and skill cool-down reduction will amplify his DPS capabilities. I'll have to be extra alert all the same. There are instances, and certain Sword Skills, where Sora can be left more vulnerable than normal without his shield. I'll need to cover him in those moments_. Sora studies Sachi's equipment choices. She wears a knee-length azure jacket with royal blue trim, underneath a matching travelling cloak. Knee-high plated boots and additional plates on her thighs protect her legs, while gloves constructed from minute purple scales protect her hands. She wears the pendant and bracelet that Sora personally made for her sixteenth birthday, as well another bracelet and three rings, all black and silver in colour. A black knife, identical to the pair that Sora possesses, is sheathed at Sachi's right hip, while a pair of throwing axes hangs at her left hip. After some short deliberation, Sachi selects her weapon: a fearsome Naginata. The shaft is 165 centimetres and is made from a Hickory-coloured wood. The golden tsuba has a sunburst pattern, with each “sun-ray” extending three centimetres beyond the tsuba and ending in sharp spikes. The blade is fifty centimetres in length and twenty centimetres at its widest. The back edge of the blade comprises of two sweeping sections, like a Scimitar, with the sweep closest to the tip being a sharp edge as well. The base of the shaft has another sunburst tsuba, this time with fifteen millimetre spikes, that separates the shaft from a slender double-edged blade, twelve centimetres in length and two centimetres at its widest. Sora nods in approval.

“That Wraith-cleaver +44 is the ideal choice to make for this battle. We don't know what Nicholas is going to be like, so having a more diverse weapon is preferable to picking a specialised pole-arm, only to find its the wrong specialisation. In your hands, it'll cover my weak spots while tearing into Nicholas. There's more throwing axes in our shared inventory if you need them, but I can't say whether that'll be necessary or not. We might not even get a chance to use our ranged choices, we'll just have to see.” Sachi nods solemnly.

“How long will it take us to get there?” Sora flicks through a pair of maps quickly.

“We can reach the Forest of Wandering by 2333. Getting to the correct quadrant will be dicey. It requires speed and timing, but as long as you stick to my shadow we can make it just fine. We should have a short window to catch our breath before the way to the spawn point opens up. We're cutting things fine, leaving it this late, but this is the best way. If we're tracked, our followers won't be able to interfere. Word about the event has spread further than I expected, and some people are smart enough to see through the ruse I asked Argo to play along with. There are some who have figured out that I know the real answer, so there may well be players stalking us. It's more likely to be those such players that get hit with our ranged weapons than Nicholas. I don't care if I go orange again, I won't let anyone steal the revival item from under our noses.” Sachi tightens her grip on her Naginata, an expression of grim determination crossing her features.

“Then let's go.” The pair slip silently out of the Black Cats Headquarters and race through Solaria to the Teleport Plaza. Sora takes a brief second to glance around for any pursuers.

“Teleport: Mishe.” The pair are engulfed in blue-white light for a few moments, while the backdrop of Solaria melts away and is replaced by the town of Mishe. Sora barely waits for himself to finish materialising before grabbing Sachi and racing off with her. As he leads the way, he catches another bout of blue-white light reflected in the windows of nearby buildings. He growls and pulls Sachi into the alleyways.

“I knew it. There are players trying to follow us. The Searching Skill will only lead them as far as the entrance to the Forest of Wandering. We'll lose them within.” Sachi chances a glance over her shoulder, but their pursuers are too far away to be seen clearly, and Sora changes directions at random to try and throw them off anyway. Once they slip beyond the town's gates, Sora's hand releases Sachi, reluctantly. There is no point in trying to make their tracks confusing here. There is too little cover to accomplish this with anyway, and so the pair focus on racing towards the looming forest with all the speed they possess. As soon as the pair enters into the Forest of Wandering, Sora grabs Sachi again and leads her towards a silvery-white disc that floats before the trunk of a tree. They rush into the disc of light, and emerge in a completely different location. The trees, the grass, the temperature. Even the night sky itself looks different here to the previous quadrant. The only similarity is the presence of more silvery-white discs. Sora leads Sachi towards one of three that floats to their right, and they travel through this into yet another environment. A group of four massive ape-like creatures roams around in this newest region, but Sora and Sachi race right past them into yet another disc. Sachi has no hope of tracking their progress, trusting that Sora has the correct route memorised. Some quadrants they dash through are empty, others have monsters. Not once do the pair stop to fight, they just race from disc to disc, quadrant to quadrant, traversing through twenty four in all before Sora finally comes to a halt. The cold is the first thing that Sachi notices. She looks about herself, seeing sparse trees and thick snow on the ground. Seven silvery-white discs hover, but Sora shows no interest in any of them.

“We're close, aren't we?” Sora nods.

“That's right. This is the penultimate quadrant to our goal, but the way only reveals itself once per hour, at the fifty-eight minute mark to be precise. Until then, we wait, and-” Sora stops suddenly, and crouches a little. Sachi grips her Naginata defensively, her instincts telling her that her brother has detected a threat. Sora strains his ears, then hears the sound that set him off: the soft crunching of snow underfoot. He tracks the source of the sound and turns in that direction. From behind the shadow of a tree, Diavel emerges.

“I thought I'd find you two here. When I heard the rumours about the event, I knew you two would pursue it, even without any facts to go on. I knew you'd chase the rumour no matter what. It was clever of you to try and trick people into thinking that Nicholas would spawn in the Forest of Whispers. I almost fell for it myself, but that place is too easy. For something like a revival item, only a labyrinthine Field Dungeon makes sense.” Neither Sora nor Sachi give any response, they just stare him down, maintaining their defensive stance. Diavel tries his best to appear friendly and confident, but the tense atmosphere weighs down on him. Sora pulls his leaf-bladed sword out quickly. For a moment Diavel believes the boy means to attack him, then notices that Sora is looking elsewhere. A sigh arises, and another player appears.

“Looks like I underestimated your Searching Skill, Nebula. I'll take some small consolation in knowing that, at the very least, my Hiding Skill was enough to fool Diavel here. Looks like I'm not the only one who saw through the ruse.” Diavel glances to his left to see Kirito, looking bemused by the situation. Before either can say anything, one of the nearby discs glows brightly, and a number of players emerge: the Fūrinkazan guild. Klein doesn't look surprised at all to see Sora or Sachi, but he does a double-take upon seeing Kirito and Diavel.

“You two are here as well? I should have known, but since I didn't see you following those two, I kind of wasn't expecting it. I guess you figured out where Nicholas was going to spawn instead, and got here ahead of them.” Sora draws his other sword, his expression quickly growing hostile.

“You shouldn't be here. You know why Sachi and I are, so why come? Are you trying to get in our way? Trying to stop us just because the event is only a rumour?” Diavel steps forwards.

“That's not it. We're here because we're worried about the two of you. I can understand what's going through your head. If I were in your shoes, I'd do the same thing. That doesn't mean it's the right way to approach this situation. Let us help you. We-” Diavel stops suddenly as both of Sora's swords glow emerald green in colour. Klein's guild is most shocked by this, but they don't get a chance to say anything. Sora's cold voice bites deeper than the chill breeze that gusts through.

“You should know better than that. You've seen what Sachi and I are capable of when we set our sights on something. You and Kirito have both seen how strong we are. This is our fight. We won't let anyone else interfere.” Two more discs glow brightly, preventing any further argument as yet more players emerge into the clearing. Kirito and Diavel draw in closer to the Fūrinkazan, while Sachi makes the identification.

“The Divine Dragons Alliance. Looks like they were following you, Klein.” Diavel tuts angrily.

“Damn it. Those guys are relentless when it comes to pursuing rare items, and they're not afraid to go orange to get their hands on such things.” A new silvery-white disc materialises. Diavel glances at it and makes his decision.

“We'll hold these guys off. You two had better come back alive. You owe us a few drinks each.” Sora nods as his swords stop glowing.

“Deal.” He then grabs Sachi and pulls her through the disc, moments before it vanishes. The pair find themselves in a snow-covered clearing dominated by a giant fir tree. As they approach the tree, they become aware of sleigh bells ringing. Both look up to see what appear to be twin vapour trails streaking through the night sky, and a dark object that grows rapidly in size as it plummets to the ground. A plume of snow is kicked up by the impact at the base of the fir tree, and the dark shape rises up to take on the appearance of a giant humanoid. As the snow clears, Sora sees the Flag Boss clearly, standing around six metres tall. They wear a red fur coat with white trim, but there the similarities to Saint Nicholas end. The giant has blue skin, yellowish hair, moustache and beard that are all severely unkempt, and sinister red eyes that roll around seemingly at random. In the left hand is a large cloth sack, the contents of which cannot be seen, but judging by the impressions left on the sack; could well be large spiked objects. In the right hand of the giant is a mighty battleaxe with a large bell attached to the top of the shaft. Four health bars appear along with the name: Nicholas the Renegade. Its eyes roll around for a time before settling on Sora and Sachi, whereupon it lets out a bellowing roar. Sora races into battle first, with Sachi following two metres behind. Nicholas swings his battleaxe heavily, a slow attack that Sora has no trouble evading and poses no threat at all to Sachi. Nicholas begins to pivot upon his right leg, prompting Sachi to warn her brother as she predicts the nature of the attack.

“Sora!” The boy clenches his teeth.

“I see it!” As Nicholas spins around, swinging his sack, Sora leaps skyward while Sachi throws herself out of harm's way. Sora can see that he will not land cleanly, and that Nicholas is preparing to make an attack on Sachi. He slashes Nicholas just below the left elbow before kicking off from the trunk-like arm, launching himself towards Sachi. As Nicholas brings down his axe, Sora meets it with a Slant, parrying the blow to protect his sister. Sachi seizes the opportunity to carve into Nicholas' right forearm, close to the wrist, before he pulls away. Sora races in again, with Sachi close behind, both taking advantage of Nicholas' slower speed. Sora's swords glow crimson as he prepares a Sword Skill, and unleashes Inferno Raid upon Nicholas' right leg. Sachi holds back a short way, making thrusts and slashes at Nicholas to try and keep the boss from focusing purely on Sora. Nicholas howls in frustration and leaps away over the pair, landing ten metres away with a thunderous crash. He slams his battleaxe into the snow, launching a number of jagged icicles towards the siblings. Sachi fights to maintain her balance from the resulting shock-wave, leaving her in no position to defend herself, but she doesn't need to. Sora appears before her, using both of his swords to deflect the icicles, though he sustains some strafing injuries in the process. Nicholas releases his grip upon the sack and reaches into it, pulling out a metallic black sphere one metre in diameter, covered in metre-long silver spikes, which it hurls at the pair with ferocious speed. Sachi and Sora scatter in opposite directions. As the spiked sphere impacts the ground, it erupts into a tremendous fiery explosion. Nicholas hurls a second sphere at Sachi. Instead of fleeing, Sachi stands her ground, her Wraith-cleaver glowing pale gold. She strikes the spiked sphere with the larger tsuba and sends it back to Nicholas, detonating it against his chest. The explosion sends Nicholas reeling. As the flames clear, Sora appears, hurtling through the air with his swords wreathed in darkness. He makes six high-speed alternating slashes diagonally downwards, followed by two diagonal crossing slashes. Another sequences of six alternating diagonal cuts precedes a final vertical laceration straight downwards with both swords. Nicholas staggers back from the onslaught, giving Sora enough time to recover from the longer post-motion delay. As he observes Nicholas and plans his next moves, he notices that the top health bar is now empty. His instincts advise caution.

“Hold on defence!” Sachi drops back several paces, while Nicholas regains his footing. He makes a brutal two-handed strike straight down at the snow. Sora leaps upwards, meaning to jump over the impending shock-wave, but a wall of snow and icicles is thrown up as well, causing light damage. The plume also reduces visibility. As such, Sora sees the fist hurtling for him too late to defend himself, and he is punched out of the air. He hits the snow hard, travelling too fast for the blow to be cushioned, and both swords land far apart and far away from him too. Sora struggles to his feet, while Nicholas stampedes towards him. Sora hurls a pair of Throwing Picks, aiming both at Nicholas' left eye, while Sachi aims a throwing axe for Nicholas' left Achilles tendon. Both attacks land in unison, and throw off Nicholas' swing. Sora dives aside, launching another Throwing Pick at Nicholas' left temple. Nicholas swings his sack at Sora, who kicks at the sack and launches himself away, towards his leaf-bladed sword. As he lands, he flings a fourth Throwing Pick, this time targetting the sack. There is a faint metallic clink, an instant before Nicholas is lost within a phenomenal explosion. The shock-wave from the blast uproots trees in a thirty metre radius, barring the giant fir tree despite it being the closest. As Sora races towards his other sword, the billowing cloud of smoke is blasted apart as Nicholas comes hurtling towards him with shocking speed. Sora sees the second empty health bar and understands the cause of the speed increase. He somersaults over the battleaxe as it slashes laterally over the snow, but that is not the only attack that Nicholas makes. He carries on with the spin, fuelled by momentum, and brings another weapon into play: a length of thick heavy chain, with a pitch black sphere at the end measuring two metres in diameter, and covered in rusty-looking metre long spikes. Once again, Sora is smashed out of the air, his vision almost turning completely black as a spike punches through his left shoulder. He impacts hard again, only just clinging to his sword, and to consciousness. The ground tremors as Nicholas charges towards him once more. A shadow falls over him as Sachi reaches his side, hurling her other axe at Nicholas. The weapon cleaves into Nicholas' right leg, just below the knee, only an instant before the giant plants that foot down, causing Nicholas to lose balance and stumble. Sachi presses a crystal against her brother.

“Heal!” As Sora's health bar refills, the boy fights to his feet, recovering at the same speed as Nicholas. He flings his last two Throwing Picks at the giant, dealing minor damage in an attempt to buy even a fraction of a second of extra time to prepare. Nicholas swings the ball-and-chain again, and this time Sachi intercepts it, her Wraith-cleaver glowing gold again. She strikes upwards, deflecting the spiked ball away, before slashing through the heavy chain, severing it. Sora races forwards to engage Nicholas at close range, while Sachi heads for Sora's gilded sword. Sora slices into Nicholas' left thigh in passing, before thrusting one of his knives into a soft spot just below Nicholas' right kneecap. He thrusts his other knife into another soft spot on the other side of the Tibia, earning another howl of agony from Nicholas, who drops into a crouch.

“Catch!” Sora turns at the cry, reaching out for the sword hurtling towards him. As he catches the blade, Nicholas makes an attack, targetting Sachi in her vulnerable state. She reacts quickly and moves to parry the battleaxe, but Nicholas' attack carries far too much force, and the Wraith-cleaver is ripped out of her hands. Nicholas lunges for Sachi, meaning to grab and crush her, only for Sachi to plunge her own knife into his meaty palm. Twin flashes of silver precede the removal of Nicholas' left hand, drawing yet another howl. Sora presses a crystal against Sachi.

“Heal.” Sachi reclaims her Naginata, but as she tries to move to Sora's side, he holds out an arm.

“Stay back. I'll finish this.” Sachi hesitates, before backing off reluctantly. Nicholas charges forwards, sweeping his battleaxe low over the ground. Sora flips Hikari no Kioku; his gilded sword, into an inverted position and sweeps it towards the battleaxe, stopping the hefty weapon dead only a few centimetres from his left hip. Nicholas falters in shock, giving Sora the time to slash with Mori no Kioku, severing Nicholas' other hand. Sora dashes away instead of towards Nicholas, heading for the severed spike ball. His right-hand sword glows silver as Sora initiates Vorpal Strike at point blank range, rocketing the spike ball towards Nicholas. The deadly sphere impacts Nicholas in the torso, propelling him backwards into the giant fir tree. Nicholas draws his knees towards his chest, trying to stand with no hands to help him, but Sora is already upon him, both blades glowing bright scarlet. A lateral slash from right to left with both swords severs Nicholas' right leg below the knee, dropping the giant back to the ground, the spike ball falling just in front of his crotch. Sora slashes diagonally from bottom left to top right with Mori no Kioku, carving deeply into Nicholas' right thigh before jumping atop the spike ball and planting his left foot against Nicholas' chest. Sora makes a diagonal slash from top right to bottom left with his right-hand sword which sweeps into a lateral slash from left to right, before slashing diagonally from top left to bottom right with Hikari no Kioku and sweeping that into a lateral slash from right to left, all targetting Nicholas' face. A quick jab to the right eye with Mori no Kioku is followed by a diagonal crossing slash from top to bottom with both swords. He slashes diagonally from top left to bottom right with both swords, spinning around to slash laterally from left to right with both swords as well. Momentum carries the swords towards Sora's right hip, where he then mirrors his last two attacks, slashing laterally from right to left before spinning around to slash diagonally from top right to bottom left with both swords. A slash from bottom left to top right with Sora's right-hand sword is followed by a thrust to both temples simultaneously. Sora wrenches both swords out again, before leaning forwards as he makes a pair of scissoring cuts at Nicholas' throat, decapitating the giant. Nicholas' head bounces once before bursting into polygons along with the rest of him. Sora drops to the ground lightly and sheaths his swords. He checks his rewards, then re-checks as his mind refuses to register what he sees. Sachi rushes forwards as Sora drops to his knees.

“Sora!” She flinches at the sight of his forlorn expression.

“What's wrong?” He looks at her with empty, hopeless eyes.

“I-It... it was all for nothing. This fight... was pointless.” Sachi struggles to understand.

“What do you mean? Does the revival item not exist?” Sora shakes his head sadly, tears streaming down his face.

“It exists... but it's useless. It... it only works when used within ten seconds. That's it. After everything... this whole fight... and we can't bring him back. Sasaki... he can't come back.” Sachi pulls her brother into an embrace, trying to comfort him. _So it exists, but there's a short time limit. Sora never saw that coming. From the moment he heard the rumour, he went into overdrive, power-levelling as hard as he could in order to get this item and bring Sasaki back with it. I joined him in power-levelling... but not for the same reason. Deep down... I knew the truth. I knew we wouldn't be able to bring Sasaki back. That's not why I wanted the revival item. As much as I_ would _like to bring Sasaki back, I had already accepted that it wouldn't be possible. I want the revival item for Sora. Sooner or later, I will need to use it on him, or he will need to use it on me. Either way, we're going to need this item someday. As hard as I might try to lead the Black Cats away from such dangers as Floor 27 or the Onyx Passages, I know that eventually this game will throw something at us that not even Sora can defeat. There are teleport traps, there are bosses that inflict Silencing, there are all sorts of dangers in this world. Some day, we may find something even worse. A boss room where no crystals of any kind can be used, perhaps, or else a boss so strong that even the Clearers can't beat it. We'll need this revival item for just such a moment. Sora might be disappointed and heartbroken by the revival item now, but some day I believe he'll be grateful for it. Even though I'd rather avoid ever using it. Even so, it brings me comfort knowing that we have it, rather than to press on without it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suspect that, by now, people knew what to expect would happen in this chapter. I've been building towards this moment since Chapter 3 after all, and have hinted that there would be loss of life, though I've tried not to give away who would be the one to say goodbye, until this chapter. 
> 
> The events of this chapter will continue to have a significant impact upon the Black Cats, Sachi and Sora in particular, for a long time to come, even many arcs into the future. As Dr Samson said, the loss will affect those two the most, and it really will.
> 
> Some things I wanted to add for clarity regarding the fight against Nicholas the Renegade. The leaf-bladed sword that Sora wields in his right hand is Mori no Kioku ("Memory of the Forest"), while the golden sword in his left hand is Hikari no Kioku ("Memory of Light" - this sword is a kind of tribute to Shadowbane, which Sora lost in the Onyx Passages). There are also two long Sword Skills that Sora uses. The first is my interpretation of Nightmare Rain. According to the SAO Wiki, Nightmare Rain was a 16-hit Dual Blades skill from the game Hollow Fragments, though no description of its precise execution is presented (that I could find). In this chapter the skill is a 15-hit combo, but the depiction is what I visualise whenever I read the name Nightmare Rain. The other Sword Skill, that Sora kills Nicholas with, is an original creation of mine that I call Blood Frenzy. It may or may not make future appearances, I have yet to decide. It's a 16-hit combo though so it may well reappear.
> 
> Another small clarification that I should make: Verdandi is the name of the new sword Sora had during the Floor 27 incident. It survived the Onyx Passages, and was sacrificed to forge Mori no Kioku.
> 
> The next chapter won't be as dark or depressing. I think everyone's earned a break from that, so it'll be a lighter chapter. One which will see a certain canon character making her debut at last.


	7. The Hill of Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Kirito and Diavel challenge Sora to a duel in order to learn why he's so strong, they learn more than they expected, and they aren't the only ones.
> 
> After a confrontation with a player named Rosalia, Silica finds herself getting lost in the Forest of Wandering. Worse still is that she loses her Familiar: Pina. As monsters move to claim her life, she is rescued by none other than Sora, who offers to help Silica acquire the Pneuma Flower in order to revive Pina. As they work together, Silica learns a lot about Sora, some of it shocking, some of it upsetting. Everything she has learned from him pushes Silica to make an unexpected proposal.

**January 19th 2024 – 1436 AST  
Floor 42 – Neyfrie Forest**

Gathered inside a large clearing within a densely overgrown forest, are the Moonlit Black Cats. They are joined by Kirito, Agil, Diavel, Lisbeth and Argo. Most stand to one side, lined up to see clearly into the centre, where Sora, Kirito and Diavel stand. Sora observes Kirito gravely, more so than he does with Diavel.

“Are you sure you want to do this? It only takes one error to lose your life.” Kirito waves aside the warning.

“You're strong, but you're not _that_ strong. At any rate, this is the best way to find out why there's so much disparity between the two of us. We're both Level 72, and pretty much all of my equipment is drop loot, from Floor Bosses that you haven't even fought against. Logically I should be equal to your strength, if not ahead of you. Yet somehow, you're far in advance of me. There's something wrong about that. Something that stats alone cannot account for. I need to see what that is, and Diavel here is of the same mind.” Diavel nods, but seems rather anxious.

“That's true, but I still don't think that a two-on-one duel is a good idea. I-” Sora interrupts him.

“It's fine. I'm an aggro-magnet. I get outnumbered all the time. I'm more worried about you two, but if you're insisting upon this, so be it. Keita, Tetsuo: you two should watch closely as well. You both use shields, like me. Pay very close attention to how I use my shield, it'll help you both out in future. That doesn't mean that the rest of you can't learn from me, though. Pay very close attention to what I do and how I fight. This could save your life if you get attacked by Red Players. It won't do much good against monsters, but against Reds? It'll definitely help. Alright, then let's begin.” Sora sets up the duel, selecting a Half Loss type and sends the invites to Kirito and Diavel, before drawing Mori no Kioku and shifting a matte black Heater Shield onto his left forearm. Kirito and Diavel both draw distinctly different one-handed longswords. Kirito's sword is mostly black, save for the edges, some light grey detailing on the guard, and the silvery cross etched onto one side of the blade, near the tip. A guard extends on one side but not the other. The blade forms a crescent near the guard, with short spikes on either side of the blade. The hilt connects to the blade between these two spikes. Diavel's sword is a little shorter, pale green in colour with gilded edges, and a narrower blade: about half the width and a fraction of the thickness of Kirito's. It has a small silver guard, not unlike a Jian, and with a silver disc pommel. The grip is wrapped with black cord of some nature. Diavel refrains from equipping his Buckler. Sora adopts a defensive stance, shield out before him, sword close to his side. He studies Kirito and Diavel closely in turn. _So that must be the Elucidator that Kirito told me about. The construction is... strange. In real life a sword like that would be poor. The connection between the hilt and blade is very weak and would likely break from usage. In the game though, it's aided by videogame logic. I should be wary of that sword. It looks pretty hefty. Probably a high critical weapon, and being a Boss Drop from Floor 50 it's not likely to be weak in any sense of the word. Diavel's Zephyr Sting on the other hand... lightweight and swift. Great for high speed slashes and precision thrusts, like a Rapier or Jian. I'll have to parry that in order to keep up with the attacks. I'll need to keep a close eye on my guarding as well, because that sword will slip through even the smallest gap in my defences and punish me severely_. Kirito gives in to impatience first and moves in with a heavy slash. Sora angles his shield as he takes half a step to his right, allowing Kirito's Elucidator to scrape off without transferring much of the force it had carried. Sora makes a quick cut into Kirito's left hip before bringing Mori no Kioku back along its trajectory to parry Diavel, the latter having tried to take advantage of Sora defending against Kirito. Instead of pressing his attack on Diavel, Sora backs off a little way, holding his shield before himself again, his body rotated almost ninety degrees. Diavel tries to move around, but Sora keeps his shield mobile as well, preventing Diavel from getting a clear look at Sora's sword, how it is being held, making it difficult to predict how Sora will respond to an attack or how he might make an attack of his own. Kirito pushes in again, making a much harder slash this time. Once again, Sora angles his shield, but as the Elucidator strikes it, Sora pushes out with his shield, using Kirito's unbalanced position to move him even further off-balance and expose a clear and easy opening. Sora thrusts his blade into Kirito's left lung before backing up to guard against Diavel, who doesn't make a move. With a snarl of frustration, Kirito strikes again, slashing laterally. Rather than try to shield against this, Sora jumps back, just out of range. Kirito rides the momentum to try and whip himself into a spin, but part way through it Sora lunges forwards and stabs Kirito in the spine, driving his blade deep. As Sora backs away once more, Kirito's sword glows bright green. Sora looks unimpressed at this. He races forwards and to the left, ducking himself under the lateral slash before retaliating. Sora's sword cuts through Kirito's wrist, severing his right hand. Sora presses forwards, slamming Kirito in the face with his shield and knocking him down. A message appears before Kirito, notifying him of his defeat.

“Control your emotions, Kirito. If you let them control you, you will die. Sword Skills won't help you if your opponent has the Skill memorised.” Before Kirito can make any response, Sora swings his sword, bringing it up to parry Diavel's diagonal slash, catching the latter by surprise. Sora shifts his shield onto his back as he turns to face Diavel.

“Catching an opponent unaware only works if they are genuinely unaware. I expected you to attack while I was seemingly distracted. Half a mark for taking the initiative, but I'll have to deduct several points for underestimating your opponent.” Diavel makes no response as he circles Sora warily. _To be honest, I expected him to defend, but not so effectively. Now I have_ more _reason to be cautious. He's moved his shield, freeing up his left hand. Why? For Nebula to remove his shield... it's significant. He hasn't lowered his defence. I know him well enough for that. I suspect he's done it to increase his mobility, to make it easier for him to keep up with my Zephyr Sting. But what will he use his left hand for? Balance? Unarmed attacks? His Throwing Picks? There are too many possibilities here_. As the pair continue to circle one another, Sora rushes in, going on the offensive. He raises his sword, preparing for a slash, so Diavel lunges forwards with a powerful thrust. Too late, Diavel realises that Sora had been baiting him. The boy sweeps his sword around and parries the thrust, pushing the blow aside enough to avoid being strafed by the blade, before making a swift cut to Diavel's right hip. Diavel blocks out the pain and makes a retaliatory slash at Sora, who meets the blade with his sword at an angle. Diavel's blade slides along the edge of Mori no Kioku before getting caught on the cross-guard. With a small pivot of the wrist, Sora pushes Diavel's sword aside without breaking the bind, allowing his blade to point towards Diavel's right shoulder whilst keeping Diavel's sword out of action. A quick thrust takes away some more of Diavel's hit points. As Sora releases the sword bind, Diavel presses the opportunity to strike, a very brief flash of surprise twinkling in Sora's eyes. Sora bats aside the cut with the back of his left hand, but in doing so leaves his sword in a poor position to respond to the follow-up thrust. Instead, Sora spins around, causing Diavel's sword to bounce harmlessly off of Sora's shield. Now, the roles have reversed, with Diavel being in no position to protect himself from a cut to the right calf. Diavel retaliates all the same, trying to use speed to push Sora into a difficult spot. Sora uses another deflectional parry to intercept Diavel's attack, the blade once again being caught on Sora's cross-guard. This time however, Sora grabs the blade of his own sword with his left hand, pulling it towards himself while he pushes the hilt out with his right hand, pivoting the sword to strike Diavel in the face with the guard. He shifts his right hand down to the blade while still drawing his left hand in, before thrusting forwards, smacking Diavel in the teeth with the pommel. As Diavel fights to recover, he feels the cold steel of the blade pressed against his throat.

“Do you yield?” Diavel sighs heavily, and drops his Zephyr Sting.

“I know when I've been beaten. I resign.” Sora retreats away, though he doesn't lower his guard until Diavel brings up his menu and resigns from the duel. A round of applause breaks out from the spectators, to whom Sora bows. 

“So, did we all learn what we needed to? Keita, Tetsuo: let's start with you.” Tetsuo takes the question.

“You angled your shield against each attack rather than blocking it flatly. Doing so seemed to have less effect upon you, while at the same time putting your opponents out of balance. You even pushed with the shield to throw Kirito right off, making him super vulnerable to your next attack.” Sora nods, looking pleased.

“That's exactly right. Many shields, but not all, are convex rather than flat exactly for that reason: to reduce the amount of force that is transferred from the attacker into the shield. That doesn't mean you shouldn't angle off with a curved shield though. The less force your opponent can transfer to you, the better. It'll spare your joints in the long run. Blocking flatly is very jarring and painful to do, and with certain weapons, particularly axes, that can be very bad for your shield too, especially if your shield is flat rather than convex. Like you also noted, angling the shield can affect your opponent's balance. They're not being stopped in their tracks by your shield. Their redirected force pulls them off balance, and you can add to that imbalance by pushing out with the shield.” Diavel chips in with an observation.

“During the fight, you kept holding your shield out, quite far from your body. You were... you were doing that to stop us from seeing your sword, weren't you?” Sora looks proud to be asked this.

“You're very observant, Diavel-kun. Yes, that's exactly right. A shield can be used for more than just protecting yourself. Even a small Buckler can be used, as you said, to obstruct vision. If you can't see my sword, how it's being held, then you can't see what I'm planning to do with it. You can't see if I'm going to cut, thrust, or try to parry. In this game, it can also stop your opponent from seeing you prepare a Sword Skill. If they can't see what colour your sword is glowing, they have no advance indication of what Skill you're about to use. This is more handy against Red Players, of course, but keeping your sword obscured can also be useful against mobs, especially Humanoid mobs that use weapons, like Gnolls and Goblins.” Kirito speaks up as his hand regrows.

“I think I can see why you're so strong, now. Your strength goes deeper than just being good at this game. You actually know how to use your equipment to its best advantage.” Sora doesn't answer right away.

“Well, you're not entirely wrong. My strength isn't entirely connected to my knowledge, but it certainly helps. When SAO was first announced, I started doing research on various forms of historical combat. HEMA, the Historical European Martial Arts, covers a wide range of weapons and strategies, comprising manuals written by scores of skilled fighters from all over Europe. I've also studied manuals from Africa, Russia, China and the Philippines, and Japan too, of course. I haven't studied it all, by a long shot, and only a portion of what I studied has actually been retained by my memory, but I learned a lot, and I'm using as much of that knowledge as I can in this game. I need to become as strong as possible, after all. Especially since there's no real ranging classes in SAO. I can't fulfil the roles that I normally would in an RPG, so I've had to adapt to an entirely different role. I need to be strong and skilled in order to protect everyone I can. _That_ is the true source of my strength: my protective nature.” Kirito scratches his head in confusion.

“I still don't get it though. Even applying real-world techniques into this game, you still shouldn't be _that_ much stronger than me. I-” Sora cuts him off.

“No, _that's_ where you're going wrong. You're treating this _too much_ like a game. SAO _is_ a game, but at the same time it's also real. If we die in here, we really die. You're adhering too much to the game's mechanics. You're relying too heavily on stats, skills and System Assist. These mechanics will only take you so far. Take that spin you tried to pull off. Even in this game, spinning is a bad idea. In real life it's downright moronic, most of the time. There _are_ some techniques where spinning can work. Particularly with Filipino fighting styles, or Montante. Generally speaking though, spinning only paints a target onto your back. Even in this game, it won't help you, but you tried anyway. You thought that your stats would allow you to spin fast enough, but you forgot that I have high stats too. Not only that, but I have superior reflexes. That's why I was able to interrupt your spin and stab you in the back, as you really ought to expect with a spin. The game's mechanics only help a little. System Assist will only do so much for you. In the end, what really matters is your skills, and if you have real-world skills, then you have the edge. That's why Sachi is so deadly with Glaive-type weapons. She combines her years of experience in Naginatajutsu with the game's mechanics. The only players who can rival her are the ones who do the same thing.” Kirito falls silent, but Diavel speaks up curiously.

“But, you spun around too, when duelling with me.” Sora shrugs.

“That was a calculated move. I could see the gears turning in your head the whole time, I could get a rough idea of what you had in mind. So, I took a chance, spinning around to bring my shield back into play and scupper your plans. It wasn't my best calculation though. You managed to cut the back of my left elbow, but my Battle Healing restored my lost HP almost instantly so you didn't notice.” Diavel looks surprised by this.

“I actually got you? Even if it wasn't much, I did damage?” Sora nods.

“Aye, you did. You've got a pretty good grasp on using Zephyr Sting, but you still have much to learn. You were overthinking things, and you got overly cautious. While being cautious is usually a good thing, you went overboard. You were too hesitant, making it easy for me to push you onto the defensive. You need to have more confidence in your abilities, and stop putting me on a pedestal. You could be as good as me in a matter of weeks if you really applied yourself. Learn from how I used my sword. The blade isn't the only dangerous part. The guard and the pommel can be just as dangerous, especially to Red Players who don't think of such things. Don't be afraid to grab the sword by the blade. As long as you fold your fingers over the edge just right, in a pinching style, it won't cut into you. Then not only can you grab an opponent's blade, but also grab your own for half-swording and Mordhau.” Diavel raises an eyebrow.

“Come again?” Sora grabs his sword by the blade with both hands, and swings heavily, almost like wielding a pickaxe.

“Mordhau, also known as Mordstreich or Mordschlag, translates to 'Murder Stroke'. You grab the blade and strike with the guard. Historically it was used to great effect against enemies wearing plate armour. The blunt force impact could cause dazing or even fatal injuries without having to worry about penetrating the plates. In this game you can use it that way. You can also use it to hook an opponent's shield and try to pull it out of the way. Just be careful not to get overconfident with it. A strong enemy will wrench your sword away. A smart Red Player will grab your sword by the hilt and push back, thrusting your own sword into you. Use it sparingly, if at all. That being said, your sword is light, and doesn't really have a guard, so Mordhau wouldn't be a good choice. Kirito's Elucidator on the other hand... that reminds me, how heavy _is_ that sword? Even with my shield angled it felt very hefty.” Kirito looks uncertain.

“That's a good question. I can't really tell since I have high Strength, but the sword's Weight stat is 170.” Sora flinches at this.

“Wait, what? 170? Are you serious?” Kirito holds out Elucidator, and Sora takes it. As soon as Kirito moves his hand away, the sword almost falls straight out of Sora's grip, the weight catching him off-guard. Sora manages to keep hold of the Elucidator and inspects it with grim dissatisfaction.

“Kirito-pyon: what the Hell? Why in the world are you using such a fat weapon?” Kirito seems confused by the question.

“What's wrong with it? It's a strong sword, a good heavy cutter.” Sora glares at Kirito almost angrily.

“Idiot! See, this is why you're struggling to keep up with me, though I have to say I'm more pissed with Kayaba for designing a sword like this. Evidently that guy knows nothing about historical combat, too. In this game, one point of Weight equals thirty five grams. So a Weight stat of 170 is just shy of six kilograms. I can tell from your blank expression you don't understand what this means. Kirito: six kilograms is heavier even than two-handed Great-swords. Your Elucidator is more in line with the weight you'd expect from fantasy War-hammers than a sword. It's far too heavy, especially for a one-handed weapon. Ideally, a one-handed sword really shouldn't weigh much more than 1.8 kilograms. There's just no reason for it to do so. I mean, sure, you could make Mordhau attacks more effective with a heavier sword, but you're trading off so many other benefits that the increased weight becomes more of a detriment. Also, weight really doesn't matter where cutting potential is concerned. Edge geometry and blade profile are much more important. A wide and flat blade with a gradual taper from centre to edge will cut very well, better in fact than this Elucidator, which has a thick blade and sharp taper. What you've got here is little more than a steel paddle, all mass and very little logic behind it. Meanwhile, my Mori no Kioku has a Weight stat of 43, which puts it at 1.505 kilograms, while my Hikari no Kioku has a Weight stat of 36, which puts the weight at 1.26 kilograms. Diavel's sword is even lighter. About 800 grams roughly, or a Weight stat of 23, am I right?” Diavel nods.

“Spot on. I used to worry that the sword was too light, but it sounds like my concerns were misplaced.” Sora smiles softly.

“Yeah, I can understand the feeling. Most people don't realise that swords could be so light and still be so effective, but both Rapiers and Jian could weigh less than a kilogram and still be devastatingly effective. As I say, blade profile and edge geometry are what matters most.” Sora then returns the Elucidator to Kirito, who looks deeply concerned.

“So does that mean I have a useless weapon?” Sora looks uncertain.

“Well... with this game's broken logic, your Elucidator is still technically viable. It's just that I wouldn't recommend using it for long if you can help it. You have enough points in Strength to counter the sheer weight of that sword, but having so many points in Strength means that your other stats are lacking. I'd strongly recommend not putting any more points in Strength. Yours is far higher than it needs to be already unless you're planning on switching to Two-Handed Axe, or else wearing a full suit of plate armour. Put more points in Agility and Dexterity to boost your defences, attack speed and critical damage, and more in Intelligence for better skill cool-down times. When you can, swap Elucidator for a lighter sword with better construction. I'd recommend keeping the Weight stat to an absolute maximum of 50, though even then that's reaching into Two-Handed Longsword territory for weight.” Kirito mulls this over silently, while Argo enters the discussion.

“I always knew ya were a tough cookie, bu' even then ya still surprised me. Don' suppose ye've go' any advise fer a Dagger user like li'l ol' me?” Sora sheaths his Mori no Kioku.

“Aye, that'd be to follow in Ducker's footsteps. Work on maxing out your Hiding and Sneaking skills, prioritise Dexterity and Agility, and put a good number of points in Vitality and Intelligence too. To monopolise on your Dagger, you're going to need a good balance of stealth and courage. Where stealth is concerned you'll need to look at skills with high critical potential as well as ones that don't put an end to Sneaking, like Shadow Cross. Courage... is more for fighting Reds, but can also apply against monsters. Daggers have very short reach, but that can be handy against monsters with great reach, _if_ you can get in close and stay in close. Which is where the courage comes in, because you need to be brave enough to stay in the enemy's face. At the same time, you can't afford to get cocky, or you can take serious damage even with good Vitality. Your build should cater towards speed and critical hits as much as to stealth. Ducker's on the right track, he just needs to keep on top of his patience. In theory you could work on evasiveness too, but if you keep darting in and out, the enemy will resort to using area attacks to stop you getting within your own reach, forcing you to stay within their range instead. That's very dangerous. The one with the reach has the advantage, which is why you need to get past their reach and stay too close for them to fight back effectively. It's a tricky weapon to master, the Dagger, but if you can manage it, very few will pick a fight with you.” Argo looks intrigued but says nothing more. Lisbeth poses a question instead.

“What about me?” Sora shakes his head.

“You'd be better off learning from Tetsuo. He's basically the embodiment of Thor, so he can teach you more about Maces than I can. All I can say, really, is don't get cocky with smashing, and don't underestimate a player's ability to parry. A Mace can easily be parried even by lightweight swords with a well-placed Slant. There's not really anything I can say beyond that. Though I can offer some advice to Agil, if he's got a Two-Handed Axe that requires no more than 100 Strength to equip.” Agil raises an eyebrow.

“As a matter of fact, I'm holding onto one that I've not gotten rid of yet.” He navigates his menus, before bringing out a somewhat ornamental-looking Double Axe. The silver blades have long beards to them, and decorative bronze inlays. The haft is 150 centimetres in length, five centimetres in diameter, and appears to be made from some kind of black wood. A spiked butt-cap is fitted at the base of the haft, silver with bronze inlays again. Agil hands the axe over to Sora before stepping back.

“Hm. This is lighter than the Elucidator, which would not normally make sense if not for the Elucidator's bad design. This is about what I'd expect for a Double Axe, though. Somewhere between three to three-and-a-half kilograms, so a Weight stat of eighty-six minimum up to one hundred. Bear with me while I get to grips with the balance of this.” Sora begins making experimental swings, striking horizontally, vertically and diagonally. His hands seem to be in constant motion, choking up and down on the haft, switching between having his right hand on top to having his left hand on top and back again. After several more swings and rotations, he comes to a rest.

“Yeah, I think I've got it figured out now. I've seen how you fight a few times now, Agil-san. Your strength and precision are both absolutely fine, nothing to speak of there. You've also got a good selection of skills. That being said, you've fallen into the same trap that pretty much every Axe user falls into: a fixation on power. Axes _are_ powerful weapons, but that doesn't mean you should specialise in just that. A Battle Axe can be a very versatile weapon if you use it right. Especially long-bearded axes like this one, which can be used to hook weapons and shields. That's very useful, but there's more to it than just hooking. Remember how I used my sword a moment ago: the blade wasn't the only part of it I attacked with. You can do the same with axes and polearms. Sachi already knows this of course, but if you learn it to, it'll help you a lot. Especially if your opponent tries to get in close. A Red with a Dagger, for example. You won't be able to utilise the full reach of your axe in that situation, but you can still defend yourself as I did against Diavel. Don't be afraid to attack with the haft and the butt-cap, and don't be afraid to sacrifice power for speed. Something like this.” Sora begins making a number of rotations and short strikes, keeping the speed low so that his movements are clear. One thing Agil notices is that Sora's hands never go lower than halfway down the haft, sticking closer to the twin heads instead, resulting in very short range cuts, jabs and clubbing strikes being made. Occasionally he pivots the axe, drawing one hand in to strike out with the butt-cap, bringing that into play as well.

“While these strikes may not deal as much damage, they're ideal to use against enemies that try to crowd in on you. Besides, sacrificing damage-per-hit isn't always a bad thing. Hitting once every two seconds for five hundred damage is no better than hitting twice every second for one hundred and twenty five damage. Damage-per-hit isn't as important as damage-per-second, but some people get caught up on the per-hit figures. Only go for higher damage-per-hit if the DPS figures are too close to make a worthwhile difference. Also remember that you can thrust with an axe. People think thrusting can only be done with swords, but that's not true. You can thrust with anything, really, it's just that the outcome is a little different. Since most Reds won't expect a thrust from an axe, they're not likely to be able to defend against it. Knowing what you can do with a weapon is more valuable than people seem to think.” He then returns the axe to Agil, who looks deeply intrigued.

“Once again, you've given me a lot to think about. You've got a habit of doing that, but it's nice to know that I can do more than just tank damage if someone gets in too close to me. I can still make use of my weapons even if the damage output drops a little.” Sora nods sagely.

“That's exactly what I wanted everyone to understand from this session. This game might be called _Sword_ Art Online, but that doesn't mean swords are the best weapon. There _isn't_ a best weapon. Every weapon type in this game is equally viable as long as you know how to use it, as long as you know how to counter its weaknesses instead of just banking on its strengths. At the end of the day, the strongest players in this game are the ones who understand all of that and understand how to get the most out of their weapons. The ones who focus purely on their stats are only going to hold themselves back in the long run. Memorise everything you've learned today, and you'll match or surpass me in no time.” Kirito sighs heavily.

“It sounds like I'm the one with the most to learn, then. I've been too caught up on stats and figures, and I need to get a grip on my emotions. Don't suppose you have any advice for _that_ too?” Sora shakes his head.

“I wish I did, but I struggle with my emotions too. I can keep them in check against other players just fine, but in certain battles... not so much. Every now and then my anger spikes and I stop thinking clearly.” Sachi poses a question that has been weighing on her mind.

“Is that why your eyes turn red, then?” Sora falters.

“My... what? They do?” Sachi nods, and so does Kirito, though he lets Sachi speak instead.

“I've observed it a few times now. The first time was against Gramus, after it took out a chunk of my health. Then again on Floor 27 when we were caught by that trap. Once more on Floor 33, after... you know.” Sora looks deeply pensive.

“Strange... I've never noticed that. Then again, I can't see my own eyeballs without looking in a mirror. Given the events that this has happened in, though, then it must be linked to my emotions, specifically to anger. Those are the moments when I've felt the strongest anger. I'll have to look into this phenomenon and see what I can come up with. If I can trigger it under controlled experimentation, maybe I can understand how to prevent it or else control it. At the moment, I can't really think too clearly. I know these incidents well, but my memories of them are... patchy. If I'm right, the moments that are most patchy are the moments when my eyes turn red. These are the moments where my anger gets the best of me, and I act more on instinct than on logic. That's dangerous. I could end up getting myself seriously hurt if I can't control this. Well, I already _do_ get seriously hurt, actually. At any rate, I'll try and come up with ways to research this, and try to find ways to deal with it, in some form or another.”

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**February 23rd 2024 – 1523 AST  
Floor 35 – Forest of Wandering**

Two females face off against one another within a small clearing, while a group of three males stands off to one side, looking on anxiously, even fearfully. One of these females is a tall spear user with purple eyes, red hair in wild curls that cover her right eye, and bright red lips. She carries herself with dignity and confidence in her black armour with red trim, and bears a patiently bemused expression. The other female is much shorter and much younger. She has light brunette hair tied into two short tails with scarlet ribbons, which match her scarlet eyes. She wears a saffron-colour tunic with scarlet trim, with small plates affixed to the chest and shoulders. A small, feathered Dragon rests atop her head, its feathers being cerulean in colour, though they fade to white near the tips. The combination of the girl's hairstyle, height and youthful expression gives her the appearance of being around ten years old. This girl looks frustrated and annoyed.

“But why should I have to share my Healing Crystals with you? You're not a frontline fighter, you don't _need_ as many crystals.” The taller female shrugs casually.

“Don't you have your Familiar to heal you? Besides, it's not like I can rely on those guys to protect me. They're only interested in their little mascot.” The shorter girl becomes indignant at this last word, and the Dragon's squawk reflects that emotion. One of the males, who wears a moderate amount of armour underneath a steel grey cloak, attempts to contradict this claim.

“W-What? Th-That's not true!” The shorter girl snaps, her patience running out and her emotions spiking.

“Fine! But I'm never teaming up with you again! I'll find a new party who'll appreciate me for who I really am!” She turns on her heel and storms off, surprising the three males. One calls after her.

“W-Wait! Come back! Silica!” She ignores him, marching away briskly, fuming. _The nerve of that witch! So what if I have a Familiar? Even_ with _Pina's healing, I still end up needing to use potions and crystals regularly. I fight on the frontlines, pushing just as hard as the others, and I take a lot of damage as a result. She just hangs back, picks off the weak and injured enemies, and almost never gets into any direct conflicts. Rosalia had no right to demand my fair share of crystals, and those spineless bums were too cowardly to stick up for me! Well I've had it with them. I shouldn't have to be treated that way. I work so hard to be strong! I don't deserve this!_ As Silica rants internally, she fails to realise that she has passed through a number of portals. It isn't until the rays of the setting sun dazzle her that she pays any attention to her surroundings.

“Huh? Where... oh no. Don't tell me... I'm lost?” She sees a portal to her left and heads towards it, but as she gets to within a metre, the portal vanishes. The suddenness of its disappearance stops her in her tracks. _Wait... the portals don't normally disappear that quickly. The only time is-_ A deep guttural growl answers her thoughts, as does Pina's cry of alarm. Silica turns to see a group of four large ape-like creatures, armed with crude clubs, and also carrying large gourds that slosh with liquid. Silica cowers at the sight of the monsters. _Oh no. Drunk Apes. Four of them. This isn't good._ The nearest Ape bellows at her, but rather than give in to fear, Silica finds her courage and draws a sleek dagger, preparing for battle. She strikes first, racing towards the nearest Ape as it raises its club high, and makes a number of quick slashes at the Ape's right leg, before jumping back and away from any kind of retaliation. The club slams into the ground nearby, generating a tremor, but Silica holds onto her balance. She targets the Ape's right wrist with a Sword Skill, consisting of two diagonal cuts that cross over each other, and a thrust into the centre of the cross. The Ape howls and swings its gourd, catching Silica off-guard, and she is struck heavily by it. As the Ape drinks from the gourd, regaining some on its lost health; Pina restores some of Silica's HP. Steeling herself for a tough battle, Silica takes a moment to try and steady her breathing, before racing back into battle with another Sword Skill charging on the fly. She leaps at the Ape and climbs up it, slashing at the torso in passing, before making a powerful thrust to the left eye that deals a critical hit. She dances back, dodging a strike from the club, and the swinging gourd as well this time. While the Drunk Ape goes to drink again, Silica darts forwards and slashes as quickly as she can, chaining off very short Sword Skills while she has the chance, to do as much damage as she can as quickly as she can, without leaving herself too vulnerable. She senses the attack just in time to evade, as two more Drunk Apes move in to protect their injured member. As she comes to rest, she is struck from behind, from the fourth Ape she had forgotten about and lost track of, and loses substantial health. She lands roughly but rolls onto her feet quickly, backing away somewhat and trying to keep track of all four Apes. She uses a Healing Crystal to regain health, while a plan begins to formulate.

“Don't underestimate me, furballs!” She sprints forwards recklessly, utilising her speed and her small stature to weave through the Apes towards her target: the weakest Ape. Her dagger glows cerulean as she prepares a new Sword Skill, and executes a sequence of six high-speed thrusts at the Ape's chest. It grunts in disbelief, moments before bursting into polygons. Silica tries to move again but can't, held in place by the post-motion delay. In this state, she is utterly defenceless, and two Apes strike in unison. Silica is sent flying and lands roughly, her health dropping down to a third. Pina flies over to restore some of her health, but even then she only gets just above halfway. One good hit would spell her death. She reaches for another Healing Crystal, to find none there.

“Huh?” The surprise leaves her unaware of the danger until she hears the roar, and sees a Drunk Ape raising its club high. As the Ape strikes, Pina intercepts the attack, protecting Silica, who looks horrified.

“Pina!” The dragon whimpers as its HP depletes entirely. Tears form in Silica's eyes as Pina's body begins to glow brightly.

“No! Pina! Don't leave me!” Pina disintegrates into shards, leaving only a single blue feather behind.

“Pina!” A shadow falls over Silica, who looks up at the Drunk Ape before her with forlorn eyes, tears streaming down her face. The Drunk Ape raises its club to deal the finishing blow. A flash of silver passes through its right arm, severing the limb halfway between the wrist and the elbow. Silica stares in disbelief as a boy, no older than she is, appears out of nowhere and kicks the Drunk Ape in the chin with disproportionate force. The Drunk Ape is floored by the impact, while the boy uses Vorpal Strike in mid-air to propel himself, and his sword, into the Ape's heart, killing it with a deadly thrust. Silica barely has a chance to register the boy's navy blue cloak with silver trim, his black trousers with pale blue armour plates affixed at the shins and thighs, or his forest green leaf-bladed sword with bronze and lapis guard and pommel; before he becomes a blur of movement again. He races towards the remaining Apes, who try to attack in unison. The boy sidesteps one club, and parries the other with Slant, sending the weapon sailing over the tree tops. The disarmed Ape looks stunned by the loss of its club, and in a matter of seconds loses its hands, arms and head as well. The remaining Ape swings its gourd, only for the boy to stop it with an almost absent-minded thrust. Two slashes destroy the gourd, and another slash severs the left hand. The Ape swings its club, and the boy swings his sword. The blade cuts through the club, destroying the weapon in a single hit. The boy grabs the Drunk Ape by the right wrist, and in a show of surprising strength: flips the Ape onto its back, before breaking the arm in three places. The Drunk Ape tries to struggle onto its feet all the same, but the loss of its head prevents this. The boy is already sheathing his sword and walking towards Silica as the last Drunk Ape bursts into polygons. Silica can't help but be awed by the spectacle. _S-So strong. How can someone so small and so young be so powerful?_ The boy stops before Silica, and crouches to meet her eye level.

“Are you okay?” Silica's emotions fall out of balance as grief takes hold once more.

“Pina...” The boy raises an eyebrow, then notices the feather.

“You're... a tamer? You lost your Familiar to those Apes, didn't you?” Silica musters a nod.

“Pina was my friend. He sacrificed himself to save me. Pina!” The boy grabs her shoulders and speaks in a suddenly strong voice that cuts through Silica's grief.

“Don't cry! It's too early to give up yet! There's a way to bring back your Familiar.” Silica falters, almost disbelieving her hearing.

“Th-There is?” The boy nods.

“That's right. On Floor 47, in the Hill of Memories dungeon, a rare item known as the Pneuma Flower spawns in the presence of Tamers. This flower can revive Familiars.” Silica looks momentarily hopeful.

“The Pneuma Flower... but Floor 47 is far away. I'm not ready to go there yet. Maybe someday though-” The boy dampens her hope.

“ _Someday_ might be too long. There's a three day time limit on reviving Familiars.” Silica looks distraught, and feels like crying all over again.

“No way... I'll never make it in three days.” The boy stands straight.

“I guess there's no helping it. I'll take you to the Hill of Memories. Oh, but the equipment you've got right now isn't going to cut it. Here, take these items. They'll help get you boosted several levels and provide all the offence and defence you'll need to survive Floor 47, and possibly a bit longer than that.” Silica refuses to believe what the boy said, even as a menu appears before her with a list of armour items and other equipment being offered to her.

“Y-You're really going to help me? Even to part with so many items? Why?” The boy stops what he is doing, looking deeply pained and on the verge of tears.

“I know what it's like to lose someone you care about in this game. I also know what it's like to pursue a means of bringing them back. I don't want you to go through the same trauma of being unable to bring back one you've just lost. It's a feeling so horrible that I wouldn't even wish it on the people who set themselves to be my enemy.” Silica flinches at these words. _He's lost someone to this game? It sounds like he went after that rumoured revival item, too. Does that mean that it didn't exist? Or that it couldn't bring back the person he lost? And yet he's so strong despite going through such an ordeal._

“What's your name?” The boy looks at Silica, and answers flatly.

“You can call me Nebula.” Silica does a double-take.

“Eh? The Unyielding Tank of the Moonlit Black Cats?” Sora nods.

“That's right.” Silica struggles to believe it at first. _Is it really him? Is it really Nebula, the most famous player in all of Aincrad? Given his strength, it would make sense. I just never realised he was so young, or so small. I'd always imagined someone much older and larger; like some kind of Greek Hero. And yet... this feels more real._

“Then... there's a chance. A chance we can make it through the Hill of Memories... and I can bring back Pina.” Sora nods again, mustering a small smile.

“That's the plan. I've been through there before so I know what to expect, but since I'm not a Tamer myself the Pneuma Flower wouldn't spawn for me. It will for you though.” Silica raises an eyebrow.

“I'm surprised someone as famous as you hasn't tried to tame a Familiar. It kind of fits your image.” Sora's cheeks redden.

“I already have people trying to treat me as a mascot. A Familiar would just make it a hundred times worse.” Despite recent events, Silica finds herself laughing at this reasoning. As relief and hopefulness replace despair and grief, Silica rises to her feet, and begins navigating her own menus.

“I know this isn't nearly enough for the items you're giving me, but-” Sora cuts her off, gently.

“It's fine, don't worry about it. I have no desperate need for money, and I wouldn't feel right taking any from you in this situation anyway.” Silica falters.

“A-Are you sure?” Sora smiles mischievously.

“I'll make you a deal: if you let me meet Pina, we can call it even. If you still feel like that isn't enough, you can treat me to a drink sometime. How about it?” Silica is taken aback by the proposal, but nods in agreement all the same.

“All right. If that's really all you want, I can agree to that. My name's Silica, by the way.” Sora extends a hand, which Silica shakes.

“I look forward to working with you. Now, let's get out of this forest.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**February 23rd 2024 – 1818 AST  
Floor 35 – Mishe**

Silica looks about herself in amazement as she walks with Sora through the streets of Mishe. Her awe causes Sora to smile faintly.

“You've not been in Mishe long, have you?” Silica shakes her head, but continues staring about herself in wonder.

“Only a few of days, but it's one of my favourite places already. I can't explore it by myself though, otherwise I just end up getting lost.” Sora nods knowingly.

“Aye, this place can be quite a maze at times. Even seasoned explorers can end up getting lost if they're not careful.” Silica glances at Sora.

“Even you?” Sora looks away, his cheeks reddening.

“It was only the once, and it wouldn't have happened if that lousy NPC kid hadn't run into me and got me turned around.” Silica giggles at Sora's embarrassment, and her merriment seems to calm him down as well. The growl of Silica's stomach cuts her laughter short, and it becomes her turn to be embarrassed. Sora tilts his head slightly.

“You're hungry too, huh? I forgot to take a lunch with me before heading out, so I haven't eaten since breakfast. We should grab a bite to eat.” An idea occurs to Silica.

“In that case, I know a great place that does delicious cheesecakes.” Sora looks intrigued.

“Cheesecakes huh? I haven't had one of those in a couple years now. Alright, sounds good to me.” Silica beams as she takes the lead.

“This way, follow me!” Sora allows himself to be lead on, smiling faintly at Silica's excitement once more. As they come to a crossroads however, a voice puts an end to Silica's good mood.

“Well, if it isn't Silica! You finally made it out of the forest, then?” Silica looks over and sees Rosalia, and the three male adventurers. Her excitement vanishes instantly, replaced with a sombre melancholy.

“Rosalia...” Rosalia's eyes narrow, and there is a flash of malice.

“Say, what happened to your little friend, the dragon?” Silica's sorrow intensifies.

“He... he sacrificed himself to save me.” Rosalia's eyes continue to glimmer with malevolence, and her only response is a hum of false intrigue. Sora steps forwards protectively.

“But his sacrifice won't be in vain. After all, a Familiar can be revived with the Pneuma Flower.” Rosalia shifts her focus to Sora, who is impervious to her gaze.

“That's true, but I don't see her managing it in time.” Sora raises an eyebrow.

“Sure she will, especially if I help her. It's not like the Hill of Memories is a frontline dungeon.” Rosalia looks exasperated.

“Oh good Lord, she's hooked another one. No, it's not a frontline dungeon, but you don't look _that_ strong.” Sora shrugs casually.

“Appearances can be deceptive. For example: you don't _look_ like an idiot, yet clearly you _are_. Let's go, Silica.” Sora takes Silica's hand and pulls her along after him, away from Rosalia, who is left grinding her teeth at being insulted. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Silica and Sora enter a tavern and take seats at a table that is somewhat secluded. Silica looks about, before recognising the location.

“This is... the Weathercock Pavilion. You knew I was leading you here?” Sora shakes his head.

“I wouldn't say I _knew_ , but I felt reasonably sure. I've heard a lot of players talking about the food here, but I've never spent enough time in Mishe to check it out myself. I'm usually just passing through.” Silica looks intrigued, and then her expression becomes apologetic.

“I'm sorry... about earlier.” Sora waves dismissively.

“Don't worry about it. I'm used to being underestimated. A lot of players seem to think that being small equals being weak, even though there's no supporting evidence for that. Besides, I gave at least as good as I got, and at least there's evidence for this Rosalia chick being an idiot, since she evidently didn't realise I was a member of the Moonlit Black Cats, let alone that I'm Nebula. If she knew, she'd never dare to insinuate that I'm not strong.” Silica nods slowly, but still looks troubled.

“I just don't understand how people can be like that.” Sora raises an eyebrow.

“Could it be that this is your first time in an MMO?” Silica nods, but doesn't say any more, leaving Sora to explain.

“I see, so you're not used to this yet. The behaviour is actually really common in videogames, when you're just controlling a bunch of pixels on a screen. The temptation to roleplay as the bad guy can get quite strong, and many people will do exactly that. There are even games that encourage the behaviour, as it adds versatility and a new level of difficulty to the game, as well as helping with immersion. Normally, it's quite harmless, but in VR, where you _are_ the avatar, it's less harmless, as it can affect you as a person. In this world, it's even less harmless. Thanks to Akihiko Kayaba, this isn't a game, not anymore. People can really die here. So it falls to players like me to be good role models, to show others the importance of being the good guys and the necessity of apprehending those who choose to be villains. Some days though, it just doesn't feel like it's working.” Silica stares at Sora sadly for a few moments. On an impulse, she lunges across the table and grabs Sora's right hand in both of hers.

“Don't say that! I think it's incredible, what you're doing. You're showing people the right path to walk, and letting the bad players know that they can't get away with their crimes forever. Don't let people like Rosalia get to you. She's an idiot. They all are, if they think that being a villain is a good thing, if they think that their actions don't have consequences. I'm sure there's lots of players who are grateful to you for looking after them. Who are grateful to you for being the person you are. I know I am.” Sora is startled by the outburst, for a moment, then smiles softly.

“Thank you, Silica. It means a lot to me to hear you say that.” Silica slips back into her seat.

“You're welcome.” The two sit in silence for a moment, before Sora breaks it with an ever-so-slightly mischievous tone.

“So... when do I get my hand back?” Silica looks at him blankly, until he gestures to his right hand, which is still being gripped by both of Silica's. She lets go with a guilty cry.

“I'm sorry! I didn't even realise.” Sora maintains his smile.

“No worries. Can't say I've ever held hands with a girl before, so that was a nice change. Still, if my sister had seen that, she'd be interrogating me until the next millennium.” Silica looks intrigued.

“Sister?” Sora nods.

“Sachi. The Divine Lancer. My Personal Bodyguard. She's also my older sister, not that many players know about that. She's extremely protective of me, and I am of her. There's a good reason for that but... it's not a pleasant story, not by a long shot.” Silica becomes intrigued again.

“The Divine Lancer is your sister? I never knew... but suddenly a lot of things make sense.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**February 23rd 2024 – 2214 AST  
Floor 35 – Mishe – Weathercock Pavilion**

Silica stands before the mirror in her room, marvelling at her appearance now that she has equipped the items that Sora gave to her. She wears a high-collar, long-sleeve azure robe with silver trim that reaches almost to her ankles. A chest-plate is affixed to the robes, cornflower blue in colour and with silver trim at the edges. There are cut-outs in the robe at the shoulders, the torso and the waist which seem to serve no practical purpose, except perhaps for ventilation. Thigh and shin guards that match her chest-plate are worn over thigh-high indigo socks, clearly visible below her short indigo skirt with gold trim. She also wears fingerless teal gloves and thick silver bangles, and a navy blue belt with silver trim and buckle. Sheathed at her right hip is a dagger, which Silica draws. The blade and the bone-shaped guard are both ebony in colour, except for the cutting edges of the blade. The wrap is silvery grey, while a small round Amethyst sits in the centre of the guard. The blade is twenty-five centimetres in length and four centimetres at its widest, while the hilt is fifteen centimetres in length. Two bronze rings are worn on her right hand, on her index and ring fingers. She returns the dagger to its sheath, before staring at her reflection in disbelief for a while longer. _It's still so hard to believe that Nebula would give away so much to me for free. He's nothing at all like Rosalia, that's for sure, or so many other players here. They'd all expect_ something _in return. Money, items, allegiance... but Nebula doesn't seem interested in any of these things. He's more interested in helping me... because he knows the pain of loss. I can see it in his eyes. It's always on his mind. It's not an especially recent trauma though. It happened some months ago, I think. He's not trapped by despair... but it seems that he's not able to smile yet either. Only a small smile, nothing more than that. So I know that his motives are pure, and that he genuinely wants to help me, but I still feel like I'm taking advantage of his kindness. This equipment... it's very high level. I can only just equip it all. Some pieces have requirements that match my base stats exactly. The “easiest” to equip is the Ebon Dagger, and even_ that _requires Strength and Dexterity stats two points below my base. He could sell this gear for a lot of money, even if he says he doesn't need money. Still, this will definitely get me through the Hill of Memories. A substantial reduction in skill cool-down times, a sharp increase in attack speed and critical, both critical rate and critical damage. Not to mention that my Agility has almost doubled, while my Dexterity and Vitality have gone up considerably as well. Then there are these rings, which boost my Weapon Defence and Battle Healing greatly. It would have taken months for me to increase my stats to this degree by myself, maybe even a year. If Nebula can simply give equipment like this away as though it has no meaning to him, then just how powerful is he? I've heard that he's capable of fighting solo against bosses, but could it really be true? Someone as strong as Nebula... they'd have nothing to gain from deceiving or using me. They'd treat me fairly, and honestly... wouldn't they? They'd protect me too. He already has once, will he do it again? What kind of person_ is _Nebula, exactly?_ Driven by curiosity, Silica leaves her room, heads one door to the right, and knocks.

“Come in!” Silica opens the door, where she sees Sora seated at the small table in the centre. She is momentarily thrown by seeing him without weapons or armour, just a grassy green shirt and earthy brown trousers. He gestures for her to join him at the table, which she does after closing the door.

“Good timing. I was just wondering whether I should drop by, but you beat me to it.” Silica raises an eyebrow.

“You wanted to see me?” Sora nods.

“Partly to see how you're holding up, and partly to go over the plan for tomorrow. You've been through a lot today, and a cheesecake and some light conversation aren't enough to make any real difference.” Silica musters a brave smile.

“You sell yourself short. It's true that I'm still upset about losing Pina, that I blame myself for it happening. At the same time, I can tell you're being honest about wanting to help me. Whatever happened to you in the past, it's motivating you to help me now. I'll see Pina again. While that doesn't do anything for the guilt I feel for losing Pina in the first place, it helps keep me from breaking down, and gives me a reason to stay positive.” Sora nods sagely.

“I hadn't thought of it like that. Good answer. You're right as well, I'm resolved to help you, partly because I blame myself for your loss. You're probably wondering how I can feel that way. The fact is, I basically went into the Forest of Wandering to play. I spent several hours in there just goofing around, killing monsters with Throwing Picks only, parrying them to death, just generally trolling them since they're hopelessly under-levelled and underpowered compared to me. If I'd finished being a dumbass sooner, I could have arrived in time to save Pina.” Silica is quick to provide a counterargument.

“Or you could have been too early, missed Pina and I, and we both would have died. Did you consider that? I'm not letting you blame yourself for what happened. You showed up when I needed you most. That's all that matters.” Sora raises his hands in mock defeat.

“Alright, I give up! Sheesh. Well, at least it looks like I was worrying more than I needed to be. You're tougher than I expected, that's good to know. By the way, that armour suits you.” Silica becomes somewhat flustered, caught off-guard by the change in subject and the compliment.

“Th-Thank you very much. I still can't believe you gave all of this to me. I've never known a player to be so generous.” Sora shrugs casually.

“Well, we are quite rare, but there's logic to my actions. I'd rather give the equipment to someone in need, someone who can put it to good use, than sell it or use it in some other way for personal gain. The Black Cats have a reputation for helping others, and I'm aware that I especially have become rather well known for that. Though usually, the help comes in the form of protecting them from boss monsters, not for giving them gear. I'm cautious of doing that since there's so many players who would abuse my charitable nature, but you don't strike me as the type to take advantage of a person's kindness. You wouldn't have made it as a Tamer if you weren't kind-hearted yourself.” Silica mulls this over.

“Hm. You've given me a lot to think about there. This time around, I'm the one having to concede defeat. I can't even hope to argue with the points you raise.” Sora observes Silica with a faintly bemused expression for a few moments, before navigating his menus and extracting a spherical object that he places on the table. Silica looks at the sphere curiously.

“What's that?” Sora taps the top of the sphere, and a small circular piece levitates upwards.

“It's called a Mirage Sphere. They can create holographic maps, which can be handy for planning expeditions and the like.” As if in response to this, the Mirage Sphere projects a map of a hill covered in flowers and trees. Sora rotates the hologram as he talks.

“This is the Hill of Memories. If we approach the dungeon from the east, we can avoid the Rain of Fire guild who tend to operate near Floria. They can be pretty rough customers at times, they're not above picking fights with other players, especially solo players and small parties. Heading east is also the quickest route to the small stream that marks the start of the dungeon.” Without warning, Sora races across the room in the blink of an eye, rips the door open, and grabs a cloaked figure, throwing them roughly into the room. As they fall, the hood of their cloak drops, revealing a familiar face that causes Sora to snarl.

“You again?” Korrel fixes Sora with an equally hostile gaze.

“Took the words right out of my mouth.” Sora holds the gaze, just as he did with Rosalia.

“So Asuna's still got you spying on me, then?” Korrel hesitates, then shakes his head.

“No way. I cut ties with her ages ago. Back when you nailed me in Sunshine Forest.” Sora flinches.

“You did? I thought it was weird that you'd stopped following me.” Korrel tuts.

“You're more trouble than you're worth. Hell, I didn't even know you were here. The Black Cats were on Floor 44 last I heard. If I'd known I'd be dealing with you again, I'd have told my employer to get lost.” Sora back-pedals, caught off-guard by this.

“Is that so? I see. So then it's Silica you're reporting on.” Mischief and cold calculation flash across Sora's eyes briefly. 

“We'll be leaving here at ten tomorrow morning, heading straight for Floria. We'll strike out to the east and hit the Hill of Memories. We shouldn't be there all that long, maybe three hours at best depending on how many monsters we fight, in both directions. We'll acquire the Pneuma Flower, head back to Floria, and then return here for a late lunch, probably.” Korrel flinches.

“Wh... What? You're telling me your plans? Why? What's in it for you?” There is a sparkle in Sora's eyes that unsettles Korrel.

“If you neglect to tell your employer who I really am, then entertainment is what's in it for me. Or are you the kind of guy who doesn't bite the hand that feeds them?” Korrel is silent for a moment.

“Based on the rumours I've heard, this is one big hand that deserves to get bitten.” Sora nods, then steps aside.

“Then you're free to go. I'll handle the rest just fine as long as you don't try to double-cross me. If you do, the Divine Lancer will crucify you.” Korrel winces. _Aye, she probably would as well. I don't know what this kid's planning, but it looks like my best bet is to play along_. He stands hesitantly, and moves towards the door cautiously, still suspicious of Sora.

“You're in a Safe Zone, genius, I can't hurt you.” Korrel sighs in spite of himself, and leaves at a normal pace, closing the door behind him. Silica breaks the silence.

“What was all that about? How did you even know he was there?” Sora sits down again.

“I have a very high Straining Skill. I always keep my eyes peeled and ears open when I'm away from my guild, just in case I run into Orange Players, or worse. I was able to sense him listening in through the door. He has enough proficiency in Straining himself to be able to do that. At any rate, Korrel is an Info Broker who tends to gather information on other players. He's spent a lot of time as an Orange player. He was once hired to spy on me, but that didn't work out too well for him, after I caught him in the act. Now it looks like he has a new contract with a different employer, seeking different information. The fact that he didn't know I was here can only mean he was hired by someone who didn't know who I am, otherwise he wouldn't have taken on the job. He knows not to underestimate me. I should contact my guild, let them know what's going on. They might be able to find out who hired Korrel, and run interference so that we can get the Pneuma Flower without interruption.” Silica studies Sora carefully while he composes his message. _He's really quite incredible. I've never even thought to train my Searching Skill that high, yet he can catch silent eavesdroppers in the act. He even keeps his guard up when away from his guild to avoid being ambushed. He's very well prepared, in addition to being very strong. He must be older than he looks. He knows so much, and sees things that I would have no hope of seeing without him showing them to me. With him at my side, I can't fail to bring Pina back. He isn't going to let anything stop that from happening. He might be smaller than a Greek Hero, but he's no less heroic than them. I feel... completely safe around him. He won't... let... anything bad... happen-_ Silica drifts off to sleep as exhaustion overwhelms her, and so doesn't see Sora sending a second message, let alone a third.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**February 24th 2024 – 0918 AST  
Floor 35 – Mishe – Weathercock Pavilion**

Silica awakens gradually, mind fuzzy and feeling confused as she tries to remember where she is and how she got there. _This looks like... the Weathercock Pavilion. Yes... I've slept here enough to recognise it. How did I get here? I was... in a party... we went to the Forest of Wandering. Rosalia... what a bitch! I left them... and got attacked. Pina! I couldn't... but he could. That boy... Nebula. He saved me. I remember now. We came back here, to get some rest before going to the Hill of Memories. I must have fallen asleep at some point_. Silica turns her head, and sees the back of Sora's. He sits at the table in the centre of the room, back turned, navigating his menus. Silica feels her face burning as the events of the night before come drifting back to her. _I fell asleep in his room! I came to talk to him, he caught that eavesdropper... and I just fell asleep in his room! I've only just met him and I'm already sleeping in his bed! What kind of rumours would go around if people knew about this?_ Sora's voice startles her.

“Good morning! I have to say, I'm impressed. You even slept through a thunderstorm. You must have been really tired.” Silica lay in silence for a few moments before speaking.

“You knew I was awake?” Sora doesn't turn around.

“I heard the change in your breathing, heard you fidgeting about as well. I have a very high Straining skill, remember? I can here a pin fall into a wad of cotton from four kilometres away, or so the rumour goes. I've never tested that out myself, but I can hear things most others can't. I can hear a party of players meeting up at the Teleport Plaza. Sounds like they're going to Ralberg. I can hear an NPC couple arguing near the bottom of the street. I can also hear the NPC maid bringing up our breakfast, so you might want to get out of bed.” Silica finds herself obeying automatically, and joins Sora at the table with a questioning look.

“Seriously? How high _is_ your Straining Skill anyway?” Sora flicks through his menus.

“Seven hundred and twelve. I aim to hit eight fifty by the end of the month, and max it out within the first two weeks of March.” Silica flinches, disbelieving her hearing. Before she can question Sora further, there is a knock on the door.

“Enter!” The door swings open, and an unassuming maid walks in, carrying a tray with a teapot, two mugs, and two plates of bacon, eggs and toast. The maid places the tray in the centre of the table, pours tea into the mugs, then bows and leaves silently. Sora continues working through his menus for a little longer, before exiting out of them and turning his attention to breakfast, clapping his hands together.

“Itadakimasu!” While Sora munches away hungrily, Silica finds herself drinking the tea without even thinking about it. The unusual flavour draws her attention quickly however.

“Delicious! I've never had tea like this before.” Sora leans back as he finishes eating already.

“Mm. You'll be hard-pressed to find many places in the real world that serve Earl Grey, even in tourist-heavy areas like Tokyo and Kyoto. I _did_ find a place that served Earl Grey in Akihabara but... it didn't taste right. Sachi occasionally makes it at home when she's working on projects so I know the difference between a well-made cup and one made by a rookie trying to show off.” Silica looks up in surprise.

“This is Earl Grey? I didn't know it existed in this world.” Sora nods.

“Technically it doesn't. The game identifies this as Fuga Leaf Tea, but the taste is more or less the same as Earl Grey. There's a lot of real-world beverages and condiments you can make in here if you know how. Sachi's maxed out her Cooking Skill so she knows how, and has shared with me some handy information to help me avoid things I wouldn't like. If you happen to also not be a fan of Wasabi, then I'd recommend avoiding anything with Rornac Seeds in it, for example.” Silica can't help but look deeply impressed by this.

“That's incredible! I never would have known about something like this by myself. I've mostly just been living off the same food and drink the whole time, rarely experimenting with anything. It never even occurred to me that I might be able to recreate some of my favourite foods in this world. You and your sister sure know a lot of useful things.” Sora shrugs casually.

“We're just naturally inquisitive. We do the same sort of things in just about any game that we play. We explore the world in minute detail, experimenting with whatever we come across in as many weird and unusual ways as possible, and analysing the results. The information is more often useless than useful, but we do it anyway, because when we _do_ find something useful, it tends to be _very_ useful. Sachi tends to specialise in things centred around food, potions, magic, and artisan crafting. I specialise in combat, survival, tracking, and equipment crafting. Between us we cover most bases, and we share knowledge with one another so that we can survive solo if need be, though we try to avoid going solo wherever possible. Especially in this world, where being a solo player can be extremely dangerous and stressful.” Silica's intrigue is clearly visible.

“Amazing! Is what you were doing with your menus related to those skills as well, by any chance?” Sora nods again.

“Actually, yes. I'd classify that under my survival expertise. I like to keep my inventory organised in a _very_ specific manner, one which I've memorised perfectly. That way, if I need to take something out of my inventory in the middle of a fight, I can do so without even looking at my menus. When you're in combat, the last thing you want is to be distracted. You need to keep your attention on your opponents, so being able to navigate menus blindly and withdraw items can prove vital, in certain situations. It's rare that it's needed, but I'd rather be prepared for a one-in-a-million situation than be unprepared for it. Especially when lives can really be lost here.” The flash of sadness in Sora's eyes causes Silica to lapse into silence. As she allows him to savour his own tea peacefully, Silica dwells on the conversation. _I'll be reunited with Pina today, in a few hours even. There's no way that any other outcome is possible. Nebula's too incredible to allow anything to go wrong. Well organised beyond description, a masterful swordsman, prepared for even the most unlikely of situations as well. He's more knowledgeable about this game than most Info Brokers too, and with the ability to detect silent eavesdroppers through a closed door. There just can't be any way for us to fail to acquire the Pneuma Flower, surely. Nebula will do everything in his power to make sure I'm reunited with Pina. No doubt he has a thousand and one back-up plans for any problem that might arise. He must be older than me, and yet for some reason I feel like he isn't. I feel far more comfortable around him than I normally do around the older players. It's strange, but it's also nice to be able to feel at ease. Being around Nebula calms me down, makes me feel confident and safe as well. Nothing will go wrong today. Nothing bad will happen. Nebula will make sure of that._

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**February 24th 2024 – 1003 AST  
Floor 47 – Floria**

As she materialises with Sora in Floria's Teleport Plaza, Silica is immediately struck by the colourful flower gardens that spread out in all directions as far as the eye can see. The sight is instantly mesmerising, and Silica because starry-eyed without delay. She doesn't hesitate to dance over to the nearest flower bed and crouch beside it, marvelling at the myriad of vibrant flowers, startling a ladybug into flight in the process. The beauty of the scenery all around her leaves her in wonder. As she looks around though, Silica notices that the people here all seem to be in pairs, consisting of a male and female for that matter, with most holding hands. _So many couples, and I'm here alone with a boy, too._ Silica flushes red with the realisation of how that may look to the other players here. She fails to hear Sora until he starts speaking.

“It's a remarkable sight, isn't it? This whole Floor is essentially one giant meadow of flowers. It's kinda hard to believe that there are any monsters to fight on this Floor.” Silica turns around, and finds herself startled by how close Sora is to her. In a lightning quick move, Sora delicately threads a single Periwinkle flower into Silica's hair by her left ear, before examining his handiwork with a satisfied expression.

“There we are. Now no-one can debate that you're the cutest girl here. Not that anyone could beforehand of course.” Silica's face reddens to the point of glowing, and she lowers her head to try and hide her embarrassment before lightly bumping Sora's chest with her fist.

“Dummy.” Sora scratches the side of his chin lightly.

“Well, maybe a little. Shall we go, then?” Silica forces herself to focus on the task at hand, and gives a determined nod.

“Right! Pina's waiting for us, after all.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**February 24th 2024 – 1013 AST  
Floor 47 – Hill of Memories**

As Silica and Sora walk along the sandy-coloured pathway, Sora speaks matter-of-factly.

“There are actually a very small number of different monsters on this Floor. In fact, Floor 47 has the smallest variety of monsters that we've discovered so far. There are only three different monsters found out here. There's the Garish Gerbera, which is a large flower-like monster with a big mouth that walks around on its roots, and has two vines for limbs that it can grab with. They're quite easy to kill, even for mid-level players. The Giant Venus Fly Trap is exactly what it sounds like. They're large enough to swallow a player whole, but I've yet to see one of these even hurt a player, let alone swallow one. Sidestep their lunge attack and then slash the stem. Your Ebon Dagger should be able to kill it in one hit. The biggest threat, relatively speaking, is the Land Anemone. They have thick purple bodies and sticky pink tentacles. They can eat a player whole but again I've never seen this happen. They can spawn quite suddenly though, usually appearing from underground in response to a trap being activated. It's this sudden appearance that can make Land Anemone so dangerous, though the Garish Gerbera can be just as dangerous in large numbers. I've seen a player lose an arm to one of those, so be careful around them even if they _are_ pretty easy to kill. Ducker, who is a member of my guild, calls the monsters of this floor 'the perfect hentai monsters' though I have no idea what he means by that. Sachi does, but she won't explain. She just keeps telling Ducker off for trying to corrupt me.” Silica looks at Sora with intrigue.

“It's a real comfort to me that you know all of this. I feel a lot safer having you around, since you know what to expect. Would you mind if I asked about your guild? You said you were going to report to them last night, didn't you?” Sora nods.

“That's right. I wanted to let them know what was going on, after that run-in with Korrel. Let's see now. You already know quite a bit about Sachi, my sister. She's the current leader of the Black Cats. She took on the role last year after an... incident. She's very protective of me and almost never lets anyone else Switch with me. Then again, no-one Switches better than Sachi and I, so it doesn't make sense to ruin that. She knows how I fight, and I know how she fights. We can watch each other flawlessly. Ducker, who I just mentioned, is our resident Rogue. Like you, he fights with a Dagger. He's our stealthiest member. He's even capable of attacking without breaking his concealment, but only when he uses his brain, which is as rare as his brain is small. He's also the comedian of the group, making jokes often. Tetsuo is our guild's Smasher. He used to use two-handed war-hammers, but ended up switching to a Mace & Shield combo instead. He feels more comfortable with that, and he's pretty domineering still. He's a master of smashing through shields and armour, and his area attacks can usually stun enemies. He's usually calm and easy-going, and almost never gets angry. Lately though he's been infatuated with a certain blacksmith. He thinks we haven't noticed. As if! And lastly there's Keita. He used to be the guild leader but... that had to change one day. He made a few big mistakes that cost us dearly. He's a good person... but as a leader... it just wasn't meant to be. So now he hangs back, usually supporting Tetsuo and Ducker, mostly Ducker since Tetsuo has a shield, and since Ducker can get a little too cocky for his own good.” Silica looks at Sora expectantly.

“Don't leave yourself out. I only know what the rumours tell me.” Sora shrugs casually.

“Well, the rumours don't miss out a lot. I'm the Unyielding Tank of the Black Cats. My job is to take the frontlines and hold them with every ounce of strength I possess. I draw the attention of the enemy and make them focus on me, allowing everyone else to move into flanking positions. In Boss fights, I take the frontlines again. I go toe-to-toe against the Boss and give everyone time to learn its attack patterns, look for gaps in its defences, and exploit those. Even amongst the Clearers, there aren't many who can do what I do, as effectively as I do. There's one or two in the Divine Dragons Alliance, but that's about it. Even the Knights of the Blood Oath don't have a Tank who can rival me, for all their bragging and bluster. Oh they've secured plenty of strong players, to be sure, but their only real tank is that Heathcliff guy, and he barely gets into fights at all. Even Boss fights he's rarely present for. Some leader.” Silica looks awed by this.

“How can you be so strong? How can I be more like you?” Sora shakes his head.

“I'm not strong. Not really. Not as strong as I want or need to be. When it mattered most, I wasn't strong enough. I tried. I really, really tried. I just have a strong protective instinct, that's all. I'm a hyper protective person, and I'll fight to the death to protect people. That's why I seem strong: because I won't hesitate to throw myself into the face of Death in order to protect someone else. This isn't a pleasant story. Nor have I ever told anyone else in this game about it, but I feel like you deserve to know.” Sora takes a moment to gather his thoughts, and resumes speaking before Silica can interject.

“Sachi is the only family I have left. Before I was even born, my mother was diagnosed with cancer. They could treat her, but doing so would have meant that I, and my twin brother Hayabusa, would have died before we could be born. She chose us over her. One life for the sake of two. She held out for quite some time after we were born, about twenty months... but she couldn't fight forever. Fast-forward to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. My father was coming home from visiting an old friend of his. A couple of teens ambushed him, tried to mug him, and ended up stabbing him. He didn't have anything to steal, so they stabbed him again. By the time paramedics got to him, it was too late. My sister, Hayabusa and I were devastated, as you can imagine. We'd just been orphaned. We tried to support one another, but Hayabusa took the loss harder than we imagined. His grief was too strong, and in his despair, he took his own life, just three days after we lost our father. So much loss in such a short time, it nearly destroyed me as well. Sachi did everything she could to help me, to keep me out of despair. She was adamant not to lose me as well. It took many months, but she succeeded. Ever since then, we've been more or less inseparable. We look after each other, and support each other through everything. Even the tiniest of incidents, we work together to confront it. That's why Sachi and I are so possessive of one another: we have no-one else left. Not in our family anyway. Over time we made new friends. It was harder for me to grow close to them than it was for Sachi, since they were the same age as her and went to her school, but eventually I started to fit in with them too. The Moonlit Black Cats have been around for a while now, even before Sword Art Online. When this game came out, the six of us were lucky enough to go in together, thanks to the generosity of a kind stranger. That's right, there were _six_ of us originally. Until last year. November. Floor 33, the Magmatys Caverns.” Sora takes a shaking breath and then presses on, before his emotions, or Silica, can stop him.

“It was supposed to be a simple expedition... but we took the wrong path. We ended up in the Onyx Passages. I tried so hard to protect everyone. I fought harder than I've ever fought before, or since. I gave it everything I had, all the strength I possessed... and it wasn't enough. I'm not as strong as everyone insists I am. If I had been, Sasamaru would still be alive. He was like a brother to me, and I failed him. The despair almost broke me, but then I heard about that revival item. On Christmas Eve, the event boss will appear. Nicholas the Renegade. Defeat him, and you can acquire an item that will bring back the dead. The second I heard that rumour I began to fight as hard as I could muster, and power level as high as I could. I wasn't going to take any chances, and neither was Sachi. We fought Nicholas the Renegade. We defeated him. We got the revival item.” Sora's voice cracks, but still he relents in opening up.

“Ten seconds. Ten... damn... seconds. It won't work on anyone who has been dead longer than that. Sasamaru had been dead for nearly two months by then. I still feel like screaming about that. After everything I went through to make up for failing Sasamaru... that was what I found. I should never have gotten my hopes up. It was stupid of me. I-” Sora stops suddenly as Silica throws her arms around him and pulls him into a tight hug.

“Stop it! Stop talking like that! You mustn't! You... y-you can't... t-talk like that!” Sora is stunned by the embrace, and even more so as he feels Silica shaking, sobbing into his chest as she clings onto him. It takes a few seconds for Sora to react, and he puts his arms around Silica as comfortingly as he can muster.

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you.” Silica is silent for quite some time, her tears eventually ceasing to fall.

“Now I understand. This is what you meant yesterday, when you said you didn't want me to experience the trauma of not being able to bring someone back. You lost someone, like I lost Pina. You pursued a means of bringing them back, but it wasn't to be. You don't want me to go through that same experience, which is why you're helping me now.” Sora hesitates.

“That's the main reason, but I also meant what I said about feeling responsible for your loss, due to me messing around. Even though you've already made a powerful argument against that, I still feel responsible. It's also in my nature to help people in need, but yes, the main reason is because I know what it's like to lose someone I cared about, and to pursue a means of bringing him back, only to find out that it couldn't be done. I don't want you to feel the way that I did on Christmas Eve. Like I said, yesterday: that's something so horrible that I wouldn't even wish it upon those who set themselves to be my enemy.” Silica continues.

“I also understand why you seem so strong. It's your protective nature. You've been through so much pain, and you fight as hard as you can to protect those closest to you. It's not just them that you protect, though. In battles, you'll protect anyone and everyone, because you don't want them to experience the same kind of loss that you have. You know better than most people here just how much it hurts to lose someone, and you don't want anyone else to feel that way. Even the people who try to oppose you, even them you want to protect from the anguish of loss. You really _are_ an amazing person, in every sense of the word. This must be why you seem older than you look. You've been through so much, from such an early age too, that it's forced you to grow up faster than normal.” Sora nods.

“I won't argue with that last part. No-one ever seems to believe me when I tell them how old I am. They seem to think that I ought to be in my twenties. I only turned eleven a couple months ago.” Silica pulls back in shock.

“Eh? You're younger than _me_?” Sora raises an eyebrow at Silica's reaction.

“I told you no-one believes it. I would have thought my height would be a big clue. I'm barely taller than you are. If you stood on tip-toe you'd be taller than me, but no-one ever seems to think about that. They just hear the way I talk and assume I'm a lot older than I really am, but this is all me. This is how I look in the real world. I haven't bothered trying to alter my avatar again, not since Kayaba reset it with that weird Hand Mirror.” Silica hesitates as she examines Sora's appearance closely.

“Well, now that I really look, I suppose I see it. Hm? Even your eyes...?” Sora nods.

“Those too. They're exactly how they look in the real world.” Silica looks intrigued for a time, then shakes her head in mock disappointment.

“And I was _just_ starting to think of you as my senpai, but having a senpai who is younger than me would be a little strange, don't you think?” Sora stares blankly.

“Would it? Age is only a number, and there can't be much of a difference between ours, surely? Besides, there really isn't a whole lot of players who know as much about this game as I do. Argo, Kirito, and allegedly Heathcliff too, though I've yet to confirm that last one. That's about all. I'm in the top four for knowledge of this game, and two of those I'm keeping pace with are Beta testers. You'll be hard pressed to find someone who knows more about SAO than I do, let alone one who can solo Bosses without dying.” Silica sighs in fake resignation.

“You have a knack for making arguments that I can't counter. Well then, Nebula- _senpai_ : I suppose we should keep going. I'm sure that you'll look after me, but I hope you'll teach me a lot as well.” Sora nods confidently.

“Of course! You can count on me!” Silica releases Sora from her embrace, and the pair resume their trek along the path. They don't get far before a pair of vines race out from the flowerbeds and wrap around Silica's legs, hoisting her into the air with alarming speed. In her shock, Silica flails around madly, panicking and crying out.

“Save me!” Sora's voice cuts through her panic as sharply as any sword.

“Calm down! Flailing around like that won't do you any good. You're stronger than this overgrown weed. Cut the vines then aim for the white spot under its chin. You can do this. I know you can.” A surge of confidence pulses through Silica, riding on Sora's words, and ignites a flame of resolve in her heart. Her shock and panic are shunted out of her mind entirely, replaced with calm determination. Silica takes her Ebon Dagger in hand and severs the vines in a single slash. The action catches the large, grotesque plant-monster by surprise, and the pain it feels causes it to flinch, and expose a white splotch roughly twenty centimetres in diameter. As Silica falls, she charges up a Sword Skill, and thrusts her Dagger powerfully, striking the weak spot dead centre. The plant-monster flails in agony before bursting into polygons. As Silica pats herself down, Sora speaks approvingly.

“See? That wasn't so tough, was it? You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. As long as you can keep your emotions in check, you can take on anything that this Floor can try to throw at you.” Silica rejoins Sora, smiling warmly.

“Hey, you're right! These monsters are pushovers after all! With the equipment that you gave me, and with you by my side, I feel invincible!” She dances ahead playfully, laughing happily until a bright glowing circle appears under her feet. She barely has time to even register its existence before a towering purple trunk erupts from beneath her, and sticky pink tentacles wrap around her tightly. As fast as the thing appears, it disintegrates into shards of light. Sora has just enough time to sheath his Mori no Kioku before holding out his arms to catch Silica. As he holds Silica in a Princess Carry, Sora smiles warmly, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

“What was that about being invincible? You still look a little soft and vulnerable to me.” Silica's face reddens in an instant as embarrassment takes hold.

“Y-you don't have to carry me, you know.” Sora maintains his mischief.

“Hm? But even if I put you down, I'm still carrying you, just with a different definition. Might as well go for both definitions at the same time, right?” Silica looks at Sora questioningly.

“And how do you plan on fighting monsters if your hands are full? I can't exactly do anything in this position, you know.” Sora seems to have an answer already lined up.

“Piggyback?” Silica chops the top of Sora's head with her right hand.

“If I'm seen getting carried around by someone younger than me, I'll never hear the end of it. Enough cheek from you, _senpai_. Or do you want to lose senpai privileges?” Sora sighs heavily, and lowers Silica with clear reluctance.

“Well it was fun while it lasted. Maybe I'll have to let you fall into another trap so we can do this again.” Silica glares at Sora with some genuine indignation.

“Don't even think about it. Those slimy tentacles were disgusting. I never want to be wrapped up like that again. If you let me get grabbed, I'm wiping the slime off on you.” Sora grimaces.

“Ew. I've been slimed by one of those myself. I'd rather not get that on me again, it took a week of showering to feel clean again.” Silica raises an eyebrow.

“Even _you_ can fall into a trap like that?” Sora shrugs.

“I'm strong not clairvoyant. Besides, Ducker was goofing off. His shenanigans can be pretty distracting.” Silica thinks to respond, but as she sees movement behind Sora she can only gasp. She doesn't even get the chance to warn Sora of the danger before he reacts, lunging backwards as though pulled back by a hook. The green and purple heads of two Giant Venus Fly Traps hurtle past Sora on either side, colliding with one another as their prey evades them. Sora draws Mori no Kioku, makes a single sweeping slash, and returns his sword to its sheath even before the monsters are fully decapitated. Sora is already walking back to Silica as the Giant Venus Fly Traps disintegrate. Silica struggles to string words together.

“H-How... did you-” Sora smiles softly.

“I saw them reflected in your eyes. I might not be clairvoyant, but I've got exceptional reflexes. I also have a great many points in Agility, so I can move very quickly when I really need to. There are very few monsters that can keep pace with me, and all of those that can do so have wings.” Silica's surprise wears off quickly from Sora's explanation, and she falls into step beside him as they resume their journey.

“You have quite the sword as well. Elegant and powerful in equal measure.” Sora nods.

“It's called Mori no Kioku, enhanced to +50 as well. I forged it myself. I have another, stronger sword that I reserve for Boss fights, called Hikari no Kioku. That too has been enhanced to +50, but it was forged by Lisbeth, not me. I'm not quite skilled enough to forge a sword of that calibre just yet.” Silica raises an eyebrow.

“Lisbeth? I've heard a few players talking about her, saying that she's the best blacksmith around. I'd never be able to bother someone like her for repairs.” Sora replies firmly.

“Nonsense! Lisbeth would be happy to have you as a customer. You're letting her reputation skew your image of her. I won't deny that she's the best blacksmith around, but she's not some unapproachable figure. She's warm and friendly, very much approachable, with a wicked sense of humour. She's also very fair in her dealings, which helps her to be successful. She's certainly captured Tetsuo's eye, I can say that much.” Silica faces Sora sharply.

“Eh? Tetsuo has a crush on her? From the way you were talking, I thought you did.” Sora looks distant.

“She's a great person, and a very good friend as well, but there's no romantic chemistry between her and I. If there was, Sachi would have picked up on it and given Lisbeth a stern lecture. Since I know that hasn't happened, I know there's nothing going on in that manner. We're friends, and I'm her apprentice as well, but that's about the extent of it. Besides, dating me would be extremely stressful given how much time I spend surrounded by monsters and provoking bosses. I stopped counting how many times I've come close to dying in this game back at Floor 5. You'd have to have nerves of pure diamond to cope with dating me.” Silica finds herself laughing at this.

“Well... yes, I suppose you have a point there. I hear rumours about your antics quite often. To think that you fought against a Floor Boss by yourself. You're nuts!” Sora looks confused.

“Wait, which Floor Boss are you referring to? There's three I've done that to now.” Silica stops in her tracks.

“W-What? Seriously?! I only heard about Nerius!” Sora looks pensive.

“Ah, I remember that one. The rumours aren't strictly true there.” Silica urges herself to move in order to catch up to Sora.

“B-But, you _did_ kill it by yourself, right? You were the only one to hurt it?” Sora nods.

“Yes, _that_ much is true, but I didn't go into battle by myself as some rumours make out. It's just that the whole fight was a mess. The Raid group was disorganised and there were four guilds involved, none of whom could co-ordinate with each other. We were pretty exhausted when we arrived, and then most people got freaked out by Nerius and his minions. I was angry with everyone for being so sloppy and for trying to be selfish, so I went and fought Nerius directly. It took a while for anyone to figure out that I'd rushed in by myself. The rest of the Black Cats tried to support me, but they couldn't quite get there. They were held at bay by minions and traps. By the time Sachi managed to break through all of this, I'd landed the Last Attack on Nerius. I lectured everyone for how that battle played out. 'How do you expect to clear this game if you can't work together,' I said. 'I won't always be here to wipe your arses. If you don't work together, you'll die,' I told them. I think they were more surprised to see and hear someone so young be so angry and disappointed in them, than they were to realise that I was right. For a while afterwards most Boss Fights went much more smoothly, except for the surprise ones, but once the Black Cats started to fall back from the frontlines, the Boss Fights have started to fall apart again. The Knights of the Blood Oath insist on handling the strategies alone. They insist that only their plans can work and all others will fail. People are dying because of this. We're trying to get back to the frontlines, us Black Cats, but the stubborn push of the Knights is making that harder for us. Our sheer strength is directly fuelling their foolishness.” Silica looks deeply intrigued by this.

“I see. I've always wondered what could have happened in that battle to result in you fighting a Floor Boss by yourself, now I know. What about the other two battles, then? You said there were two other Boss Fights where you fought solo against the Boss, right?” Sora nods again.

“That's right, and both happened this year. Floor 51 and Floor 52. We were making experimental runs to the frontlines to see if we were ready to return. Technically, we were, but these two Boss Fights took so much out of me that we had to drop back again, but only by a little. Floor 51, Velus: The Zephyr Bird. Not a fun fight. The Army had no clue as to what the heck they were doing. They came to us to try and get one-up on the Knights and the Divine Dragons Alliance, but they were so disorganised it was unbelievable. We just left them to gawp moronically. Velus was protected by too many Aegis Hawks for me to even try counting, so the rest of the Black Cats were forced to focus on those while I took on Velus myself. I'm quite the marksman when it comes to using Throwing Picks, so I was able to ground Velus repeatedly and whittle away at its health nicely, but I still ended up spending far more time airborne than I would have liked. The Army dropped back after that fight, too ashamed of their uselessness. Then we went to Floor 52. Phorus the Fire-bird. This time we went in with the Knights and the DDA, who resented us for what happened on Floor 51, but once we got into the Boss Room, those two guilds ended up turning on each other. I can't say I blame them. The DDA are getting real sick of Asuna bossing them around even though she's in another guild. Fighting broke out, and most of the Black Cats were tied up with preventing the two sides killing each other. Sachi took on the Emberwings while I fought Phorus. I've never apologised to a Boss before, but I felt Phorus was owed an apology after having to witness a bunch of players arguing and fighting one another. I spent pretty much the whole battle on fire, which I don't recommend, but it was worth it when Phorus' severed head almost rolled right over Asuna. Everyone had been so busy fighting each other that they didn't even notice me killing the boss. Imbeciles, all of them. That's part of the reason we stopped participating in Boss Fights, but the main reason was because I was exhausted to the point where I'd collapse. The Clearers haven't gone much further. Floor 55 is where they are now. The Knights of the Blood Oath have set up their new headquarters in Granzam, and are leading a Floor Boss fight tomorrow. It'll be a disaster, I just know it.” Silica becomes deeply concerned by all of this.

“I'm amazed you can put up with it all. You shouldn't have to. It's not fair, on you or your guild. It's not good for you, to push yourself so hard to cover for other people. I know you're strong, but you're not invincible. One of these days you're going to get into a situation that you won't be able to overcome. You need to pull back, ease off, and stay that way, before you get into a situation like that. It would hurt everyone if we were to lose you.” Sora is stunned into silence for a moment. _Well, that was a little unexpected. Sachi says the same things all the time, but she also knows why I push myself like this. I have to._ We _have to: the Moonlit Black Cats. We need to assert our strength more. We need to show everyone the correct way to do things, and the start of that is exposing the flaws of the existing system_. Sora smiles softly, and pats Silica's head reassuringly.

“It's very touching that you're worried about me, but I'll be okay, I think. There was a need for this to happen, as much of a burden on me as it turned out to be. The Knights of the Blood Oath have been trying to control everything for too long now. They need to be put back in line. Their tactics aren't working too well. Their guild is a mash-up of elitists and lone wolves, many of whom were kicked out of other guilds for their bad behaviour. Most players have become aware of this but they're afraid to take action. The Divine Dragons Alliance are the only guild large enough to resist, and the Army I guess. Despite their size though, they lack strength. Which is where the Moonlit Black Cats come in. We're one of the smallest guilds around, but our strength matches the Knights. Even Keita is stronger than most members of the Knights. Sachi and I... well I can't speak for Heathcliff, but we're definitely stronger than Asuna. We've shown the players of this game that a guild doesn't need to be large to be powerful. We've shown them that stats and equipment are meaningless compared to the bonds between players. Resistance to the Knights of the Blood Oath is growing, but we need more. We need to keep proving to everyone that the Knights are not the solution to everyone's problems. Outperforming them in Boss Fights is one part of this. We need to start challenging their authority in public now though. Questioning their strength is one thing, but now we need to question their intelligence. Most importantly, we need to expose the flaws in how the Knights are structured. They don't share strong bonds, if any at all. They're lone wolves glued together by a promise of rewards and a goal of clearing the game. That's not healthy. A guild without strong bonds will fracture and fall apart. They'll be weak in combat too. We're proving this, but we need to do it for non-combat situations as well, not just for Boss Fights. If we can do all of this, if we can show enough people that the Knights of the Blood Oath are doing things the wrong way, we can incite change on the frontlines. We'll reshuffle the Clearers, and possibly the Knights as well. They desperately need to change, but they'll resist at every turn. But they need to change. The way they are now, they won't get past Floor 60. They'll lose a lot of lives in the coming battles because they don't care about one another, don't look out for one another. They only believe in their own strength. 'The strong live and the weak die,' seems to be the fallacy they've invested in. So we'll let them fight tomorrow their own way. That'll shake them up. Then once Floor 56 opens up, the Moonlit Black Cats will be there to remind them what true strength looks like and how it's achieved.” Silica is so awestruck by this statement that it takes a while for her to respond.

“So _that's_ what you guys are up to? Who in the world came up with such a plan?” Sora smiles softly.

“Sachi, of course, though I contributed some ideas as well. Sachi is a very good judge of character and has a knack for homing in on a person's weakness, given that she knows enough about them. She can make some seriously persuasive arguments when she needs to. I can too, but I tend to be more direct and brutal to that end. I hammer away at a person's defences and force them to see the truth, whereas Sachi is better at slipping into the gaps of a person's armour and convincing them to look at the truth themselves, without force. In order to shake up the Clearers, we'll need to take both approaches simultaneously. Sachi will be handling the persuasion of the less resistant players in this world, while I smash the shields of those who try to deny reality. I have the strength for that, even if battles do tend to get quite exhausting of late. We won't fail. Or rather, we _can't_ fail. We can't afford to. There are too many lives currently being endangered because the Knights are trying to control everything. They need to step back. They need to co-operate with the other guilds, not just the ones amongst the Clearers but also the back-up guilds that support us. There are a number of mid-level guilds that are doing whatever they can to help out the Clearers, even if that's just a case of giving us a discount to their services. Even so, the Knights aren't grateful about this and throw their weight around. They're jeopardising our ties to these mid-level guilds. If we lose their support, the progress we make will be cut by more than half. It's taken nearly a year and a half to reach Floor 55. Best estimates for reaching Floor 100 is another three years, but if we lose the support of the mid-level guilds, it could be five years at least, possibly closer to seven years. That's not acceptable. If we're trapped here for another seven years, who will even be left to clear the game? We've lost nearly four thousand players already. We could lose the same again if we're stuck for five years, let alone for seven. So we _have_ to succeed. We _have_ to shake up the Clearers, before it's too late. Before we end up losing more than we can save.” Silica looks distant for a moment.

“I see now. So the rumours really aren't true. I didn't think they were.” Sora looks at Silica curiously, his hand slipping away from her head.

“Rumours?” Silica nods.

“That the Black Cats aren't seeking to clear the game. That they want to stay here.” Sora looks shocked.

“What?! I haven't heard about this! Who the Hell is spreading these rumours?” Silica flinches from Sora's outburst.

“E-Er... i-it was some guys from the Knights of the Blood Oath. They were ranting about it in a tavern in Mishe.” Sora looks uncertain for a time, and then the answer clicks in his mind.

“Asuna... that idiot.” Silica looks at Sora expectantly.

“Huh?” Sora shakes his head solemnly.

“She must have overheard what I said on Floor 20, about not wanting to go back to the real world.” Silica stares in disbelief.

“Y-You don't?” Sora looks distant, eyes brimming with pain.

“I suppose I can understand why you'd ask that. I lost Sasamaru to this game, after all. But think about it: what else has this world taken from me? There isn't anything. The real world took my parents and my brother before I even reached ten years old. Then compare what I've gained in each world. A few friends in the real world, but more in this world, as well as building stronger bonds with Sachi and the other Black Cats. I can do more to help her in this world too. I can fight monsters of all kinds, protect her, protect anyone really. In the real world I can't do anything at all. I'm too young to get a job, too weak to fight other people, let alone monsters. I just can't do anything there. But in this world, even the things that I can't do _now_ , I know I can do them in the future if I really want to do so. I'm not just an infamous tanking player, not just an overprotective fighter, but also a blacksmith's apprentice who can directly support a large number of people. I can help so many here, but I can't in the real world. When I weigh things logically like that, it's really a simple conclusion to draw. I weigh my losses in each world, and the scales tip heavily to the real world, thereby favouring this one. I weigh my gains in each world, and the scales tip heavily to this world, in its favour. I'm still going to clear this game. Make no mistake about that. I'll beat this game and set everyone free. It's just that, when I do, I'm going to make Akihiko Kayaba a proposition, one by which I'm allowed to remain in this world, indefinitely.”

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**February 24th 2024 – 1227 AST  
Floor 47 – Hill of Memories**

Silica waits patiently as five Giant Venus Fly Traps snap threateningly, yet seem reluctant to lunge. She breathes calmly, keeping her emotions under control, knowing that patience and calmness will be her best allies here. Some way behind her, Silica can hear Sora fighting against other monsters, preventing the pair from being completely surrounded as well as outnumbered. Over time, the Giant Venus Fly Traps become more and more daring with their lunges, but Silica remains still. _Remember what Nebula taught you. These monsters are weak but they're cunning. They bait their prey into making a foolish move when ambushing is no longer an option. That's the case now. They can't ambush me. Nebula alerted me to their presence before they could, and two paid the price for that. Now these ones remain, testing me. They're going to keep getting closer, but the attacks are just feints. They want me to strike. They want me to drop my defences so that they can get me. Stay calm. Stay focused. Feel your enemy's intentions. Find their intent to kill and concentrate on that. Wait for it to spike, then, and only then: strike._ Silica continues to bide her time, even as the lunges get within arm's reach of her. As one of the nearer Giant Venus Fly Traps rears back, Silica senses a sudden increase in hostility from it. As the Fly Trap lunges for her from her right side, she jumps back. The head of the creature snaps shut just in front of her, narrowly missing, but overextends due to momentum. As its stalk comes into Silica's view, she slashes twice with her Ebon Dagger, severing the stalk. Another Fly Trap lunges from her left, but she is already in motion, leaping towards it and grabbing onto one of the upper teeth, pulling herself over her opponent. She slashes through the stem as she passes it, then dances aside to avoid a third attack. Three high-speed thrusts to the side of the bulb eliminate the third Fly Trap, leaving just two survivors. The fourth Fly Trap lunges for her, aiming to overwhelm her defences with speed. As Silica jumps back, she realises that she reacted just a little too early, and the fourth Fly Trap retreats quickly. The fifth Fly Trap strikes, believing it has an opening. Silica twists around before throwing herself into a backflip, swinging her legs up to kick the fifth Fly Trap in the chin. She flips again, before launching herself into a somersault over the fourth Fly Trap, where a pair of slashes cross over to sever its stalk. With no other threats to worry about, Silica goes on the offensive, racing back towards the final Fly Trap even as it lunges for her. She launches herself into its open jaws and thrusts into the back of the bulb, pushing the Ebon Dagger with both hands. The Fly Trap spasms and explodes into shards. She wipes her brow, then moves to rejoin Sora, who sheaths his sword as a pair of Garish Gerbera disintegrate into fragments. A bright glowing circle appears under his feet, but Sora is already in motion long before the Land Anemone erupts skywards. Six Throwing Picks puncture the trunk, and the Land Anemone dies just as quickly as it spawned. Silica looks at Sora incredulously as he deftly catches the falling Picks and returns them to their individual tubes.

“Are you a Shinobi in real life, by any chance?” Sora gives a small chuckle at this.

“I can see why you'd ask that, but no. I tend to be a bit too heavy-handed for that line of work. I can only sneak around for so long before I have to make a big commotion.” Silica laughs softly at this herself, before turning to look along a stone path that terminates in a small shrine-like area with four pillars, and a kind of plinth or pedestal in the centre.

“Is that it?” Sora nods calmly.

“That's our destination. There's no more monsters to fight. Once you step within those four pillars, the Pneuma Flower will spawn.” Silica begins along the path, walking cautiously, keeping an eye out all around her.

“Isn't there any kind of a boss here? This seems too easy.” Sora shakes his head.

“There's no boss, just the monsters we've already fought. It only seems easy because you have good gear, and because you had me guiding you. If you were alone, that last battle might well have been too much for you. Ultimately this isn't considered a crucial dungeon. It's just a place to go if you happen to be a Tamer, who was unfortunate enough to lose their Familiar. Most players here haven't even attempted to become Tamers. There's no real need for this place to be any more heavily defended than it already is.” Silica maintains her caution.

“What about the people who hired Korrel? Won't _they_ be around here?” Sora scoffs.

“I'd be deeply disappointed in them if they were. There's monsters on the other side of the trees. Lots of them too, to prevent people from trying to short-cut their way here. If Korrel's employers tried to come that way, we'd know about it. Either that, or they'd be dead. Following the path is the safest route to get here.” At last, Silica lowers her guard, trusting Sora's words. She walks calmly into the shrine area. As soon as she passes the nearest pillars, a flower blooms from the central plinth. The flower bears seven white petals that shine brilliantly, five yellow stamens and two green leaves just beneath the petals. Silica rushes forwards eagerly, and takes the flower without hesitation. She receives a notification confirming her acquisition of the Pneuma Flower. Sora catches up to her, and pats her on the head.

“There we go! I'd say that was a pretty successful mission. I'm assuming you wouldn't want to revive Pina out in the field where it's potentially dangerous, so let's head back. If we're quick enough, we can get out of here before the monsters re-spawn, though there's no real need to hurry. You've got me here by your side either way, so even if monsters _do_ re-spawn, they won't pose a threat.” Silica beams at Sora radiantly, emanating happiness.

“Right!”

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**February 24th 2024 – 1344 AST  
Floor 47 – Hill of Memories**

Silica hums merrily as she walks besides Sora, practically skipping. Her cheerfulness becomes even greater as the stone bridge comes into sight, marking the entrance and exit of the dungeon. As they reach the bridge however, Sora draws to a stop, and holds out his left arm to stop Silica as well. Before she can question this, Sora calls out to the trees at the other side of the bridge.

“I know you're there, Rosalia. Show yourself.” Silica looks in shock as Rosalia emerges from behind one of the nearest trees. She looks faintly impressed.

“My Hiding Skill is one of my highest, so you must have really high detection skills to notice me.” Silica looks somewhat frightened.

“Wh-What are you doing here? What do you want?” Sora answers before Rosalia can.

“The Pneuma Flower, right? There's only a handful of Tamers in the world, so the Pneuma Flower is a highly valuable item, it can sell for well over one hundred thousand Cor. Closer to half a million if you can find a buyer desperate enough.” Rosalia raises an eyebrow.

“Say, you're pretty sharp. It's too bad you're wasting your time with that loli mascot, though. I'll admit, she's a pretty good source of profit if you know how to play the game. I was so sad when she ran off on her own, but then she went and said she was going after a Rare Item! I just couldn't pass up this opportunity.” Silica is stunned silent, but Sora maintains his calm.

“She wouldn't be your first mark, of course. You've been doing this for a long time, stealing from other players at any cost.” Silica flinches.

“But... her cursor's green.” Sora nods.

“ _Hers_ is, but I can guarantee you that most of her guild is orange. She's the brains of the operation. She picks out the valuable targets, while her guild mates ambush and mug their prey. Oh they don't kill other players. At least, not directly, they just leave the victims in a hopeless situation. Rosalia needs to remain green though, otherwise no-one would let her into their party. It's a clever trick. Basic, but clever enough I suppose. Too bad I'm not that simple-minded. Titan's Hand, isn't it?” Rosalia looks faintly surprised by this, but covers it well. She snaps her fingers. Seven males emerge from behind more trees. All but one of these bears an orange cursor. Rosalia speaks coldly.

“I think we're done here.” Sora speaks calmly as Silica begins to panic.

“Ready a Teleport Crystal and wait for my signal.” While Silica fumbles with her pouch, Sora begins marching onto the bridge. It takes Silica a few seconds to notice.

“W-Wait... Nebula!” Several of the orange players flinch at the name. The male with the green cursor finds his voice first.

“Nebula? The Unyielding Tank of the Moonlit Black Cats? The Clearer who solo-killed three Floor Bosses?” Rosalia laughs derisively at this.

“Not a chance! That's just some kid! There's no way a runt like that could make it to the frontlines. Besides, Nebula uses a shield, everyone knows that. Quit shaking in your boots and take everything they've got!” All seven males rush forwards with war cries, bearing down on Sora, who looks unimpressed with his opponents. The first male, who wears a blue tunic, light armour, and carries a thick, curved sword; takes a swing at Sora, slashing for the boy's throat. Sora sighs and draws Mori no Kioku, meeting his opponent's sword and ripping it from their hand effortlessly. A powerful kick to the stomach launches this male back towards Rosalia, bowling over the male with the green cursor in the process. Two more males, one with a sword and shield, the other with two small axes; attack in unison, trying to use numbers to their advantage. Sora sidesteps the slash before punching the swordsman in the side with his left fist, pushing the man into the path of the two axes. He cuts off the swordsman's right hand at the wrist before kicking him away, into the male with the axes. As the swordsman falls, Sora uses him as a stepping stone to get into the dual axe user's face, slamming his left fist into the guy's nose with the force of a freight train. A male with a simple-looking Katana succeeds in slicing into Sora's left hip, but the boy shows no reaction to the attack. All the same, he cuts off this male's right leg above the knee, before hitting him over the head with a Mordhau, striking with the pommel rather than the guard. The two remaining males stop in their tracks and try to retreat, but they've underestimated their opponent. One is too overweight to run fast anyway, and has his legs cut off below the knees. As the other runs, he feels lances of pain erupt in his heels, thighs, and the backs of his knees. He stumbles and falls, the six Throwing Picks incapacitating him almost as much as the impact of hitting the ground hard. Sora marches towards Rosalia purposefully, but he has made an error. The male with the green cursor slashes at Sora, catching the boy by surprise, though the attack is somewhat sloppy and doesn't connect. Sora snarls fiercely and slaps the man with the back of his left hand, before cutting off his right arm near the shoulder. Pain erupts from Sora's side as Rosalia takes advantage of Sora's distracted state, thrusting her spear into his left lung. Her look of triumph quickly turns to terror as Sora fixes her with a fearsome glare. 

“Y-You're kidding!” She tries to back up but Sora is much faster. With a single slash, he cuts her spear in half, before stabbing her in the chest, narrowly missing her heart. She stumbles backwards in shock and pain, and turns to flee, only to almost impale herself on a spear being held by a murderous-looking Sachi. Ducker, Keita and Tetsuo also come into view, along with Kirito and Diavel. Sora's voice breaks the silence.

“I didn't equip my shield today because I knew I wouldn't need it. See, here's the difference between you and I. _You_ thought I didn't look strong, yet I'm a Level 78 who can solo Floor Bosses. _I_ said you look like an idiot, and you are. You failed to realise who you were messing with. Though I have to thank Korrel for his contribution to that. Not the best choice of Information Broker, he's dealt with me in the past and didn't enjoy it. So when I caught him trying to gather information on Silica, I gave him a way out. In exchange for me not beating the crap out of him, all he had to do was not tell you who I was. Of course, I didn't know you were with Titan's Hand right away. Korrel dropped a nice clue for me, though. When I asked him if he was the kind of person to refuse to bite the hand that feeds him, he told me yours was a big hand that deserved to be bitten. Then it hit me. Titan's Hand.” Rosalia struggles to stay confident in this situation.

“So you set this up? Why?” Sora steps into her vision, and looks furious to even be asked the question.

“Why? Are you seriously asking that after what you did to the Silver Flags? You really are scum. Unfortunately for you, your guild failed to do its job properly. The leader of the Silver Flags survived. He came to the frontlines, begging for help, begging for someone to do something about your guild, but he didn't want any of you dead. No, he's a better man than any of you could ever hope to be. He used up all of his fortune on a Corridor Crystal, the co-ordinates for which are the Jail, and you're all going there. Mark my damn words.” Rosalia remains defiant.

“Sentimental old fool. There's no proof that dying here means death IRL.” Without warning, Sora punches Rosalia in the face, knocking her on her backside.

“You have no idea how much I wish that was true. After losing someone who was like a brother to me in this game, there's nothing more that I want than to find out he's still alive in the real world, but I'm not as stupid or as naïve as you. Sasamaru is dead. Your victims, barring the Silver Flags leader, are dead. Everyone who has ever died in this game is dead. Until you understand this, you don't deserve to be free. You're going to jail, and you're staying there for the duration. You deserve worse than that, but I'm going to honour the leader of the Silver Flags' wishes. Round these monsters up, let's get them sent where they belong!” While Kirito, Diavel and the Black Cats round up the members of Titan's Hand, Sora moves off to one side, leaning heavily against a tree. Silica joins him, and notices the trembling in his hands.

“Are you okay?” Sora clenches his fists to try and subdue the trembling.

“I will be, once the adrenaline wears off and I calm down. These people really touched on a raw nerve of mine, and I took it worse than I meant to. I let my emotions get the better of me more than once. I didn't mean to get so aggressive with them, but knowing what they've been doing... it just got to me. I probably scared you, didn't I? Running off to fight all those players at once?” Silica moves in closer, leaning against Sora.

“I was more worried than scared, though seeing you take a hit _did_ frighten me a little. You didn't even seem to notice it, though. Not even when Rosalia got you... for a moment I thought you might be in real trouble. I wanted to come and help, but I couldn't move. I guess you didn't need help in the end, but still...” Sora speaks levelly.

“Adrenaline has a habit of blocking out pain, and my Battle Healing Skill is so high that I recovered the damage I'd taken pretty much straight away. These guys really aren't very strong. Not even Level 50 yet. I'm sure they could attack me all day and still not get past my Battle Healing. You weren't worried about me losing, were you?” Silica shakes her head firmly.

“Not at all. I knew you wouldn't, but I was worried you were going to get hurt all the same. With so many players attacking you, it seemed like you were going to be in pain. I still knew you'd win. The hero always beats the villains.” Sora raises an eyebrow.

“A hero? Since when have I ever been the hero?” Silica holds onto Sora.

“You're _my_ hero. You helped me get the Pneuma Flower, and you protected me from Rosalia and her guild. You protect everyone, if you can, and keep trying to do so even after losing someone. That makes you a hero.” Sora hesitates for a time.

“Well, I guess when you put it like that... but I've never seen myself as a hero. Never tried to be one either. I just do what I believe is the right thing. A lot of people tend to agree that what I'm doing _is_ right, so that encourages me to keep it up. Still, a hero seems a stretch, but I get the feeling you'll insist I am one. I guess all I can do then is to keep living up to your expectations.”

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**February 24th 2024 – 1558 AST  
Floor 35 – Mishe – Weathercock Pavilion**

Sora and Silica sit together at the table in Sora's room, where they are joined by Sachi. Sora begins talking.

“It's only right that I explain what happened today, what you got caught in the middle of. On February 14th, the Titan's Hand guild wiped out the Silver Flags after deeming them too poor to steal from. However, the leader of the Silver Flags survived. He made his way to the frontlines after spending what little money he had on a Corridor Crystal. There, he spent a full week begging the Clearers for help in bringing Titan's Hand to justice. Most turned him away, but I won't get into a rant about that. Eventually he came before Kirito, who agreed to help out. I knew this much but had no further information to go on at the time. After rescuing you in the Forest of Wandering and returning to Mishe, we had that run-in with Rosalia. Her behaviour was... suspicious, to me, and yet I wasn't certain what her deal was, exactly. It wasn't until I caught Korrel eavesdropping on us that all the pieces fell into place. I knew it was Rosalia who hired him. My instincts told me as much. When he dropped the hint that he was working for Titan's Hand, I knew something had to be done. I contacted Sachi, and then sent messages to Kirito; since he was after Titan's Hand, and Diavel as well; who is a good friend and trusted ally. Sachi expressed her concern about my plan to turn Rosalia's own trap against her, but I was able to talk her round. Even so, the Moonlit Black Cats were put into play to make sure my plan didn't backfire. Ducker went to ground to spy on Titan's Hand, make sure they didn't go anywhere unexpected. He would also co-ordinate the others in trapping Titan's Hand. Tetsuo and Keita were in Floria ahead of us, blending in surprisingly well despite the sheer number of dating couples around, and they set about gathering information. Kirito and Diavel joined Ducker in monitoring Titan's Hand once those guys showed up. Meanwhile Sachi threatened Rain of Fire not to get in our way. A little heavy-handed, but effective. She made sure that no-one else would cause any problems. I knew Titan's Hand would wait for us to return to Floria since that's what I told Korrel we would do. Teleport Crystals are hard to come by so there would be no reason for us to waste two of them just to get out quicker. Once I engaged Titan's Hand, the others moved into position as well, standing by in case I needed assistance, or else to catch anyone who tried to escape. Don't get me wrong: my top priority was to help you get the Pneuma Flower. It's just that I had a secondary objective as well: apprehending Titan's Hand.” Silica smiles softly.

“You don't have to worry, I know you were most concerned with helping me. I never once thought that you might be using me as bait or anything like that. Still, it's helpful to understand what exactly was going on, but it's also shocking. I always knew that there was something dishonourable about Rosalia, but I never suspected that she could stoop so low. Preying on smaller, weaker guilds for profit. Even going so far as to kill other players. My mind doesn't want to accept that someone can be so terrible... but I know it's true all the same. She got what she deserved. Her whole guild did. They belong in jail, where they'll be forced to think about what they've done all this time. Just more proof that the Moonlit Black Cats are the best guild around.” Sachi shakes her head.

“We're not the best. Not yet, but we're trying to be. For now, we're just doing what we do best: protecting people. The only difference this time is that we're protecting people from another guild, not monsters.” Silica answers flatly.

“That's what makes you the best guild.” Sora replies before Sachi can, his expression bemused.

“You might want to surrender, Onē-chan. Silica's pretty insistent about this point. We're never going to convince her that we're not the best guild.” Sachi leans back with a dismissive wave, resigning herself from arguing. Silica shakes her head.

“It's not just me though. Lots of people believe that the Black Cats are the best guild, and they're right. You-” Sora interrupts.

“Silica: you've already won. You don't need to keep going.” Silica falters, only now realising that Sachi had surrendered.

“Oh. I guess I did.” She bursts out laughing at this, and Sora joins her. His laughter earns surprise from Sachi, who observes him quietly. _Sora's laughing... for real? He hasn't laughed for months. Hasn't smiled either. Not since then. But now he is again? Because of Silica?_ As Silica settles down, but still smiles strongly, she begins navigating her menus.

“Well, now that the mood is right, it's time to make this day even better.” She places Pina's feather onto the table and takes out the Pneuma Flower as well. She tilts the flower, dripping a droplet of water onto the feather, which begins glowing brightly. The feather is lost within a sphere of brilliant light for a few seconds. A joyful cry precedes the dissipation of the light, which reveals Pina, alive and well once more. The Familiar flings itself at Silica in an instant, licking her and crying out happily. 

“Pina! Welcome back! I've missed you so much!” Sora looks at Pina in shock.

“Wait, Pina is a Feathered Little Dragon? I thought those were supposed to be impossible to tame?!” Silica raises an eyebrow.

“Really? All I did was feed Pina a peanut and that was it. Maybe he just really liked me.” She then turns Pina to face Sora.

“See that boy there, Pina? That's Nebula. He helped me to revive you. He's my hero.” Pina flies over to Sora and begins licking the boy's cheek. Sora laughs joyfully at this.

“I think he likes me.” Silica nods approvingly.

“Well of course! What's not to like? You saved me, and helped me in my hour of need. Pina must recognise that you're a good person: a real hero.” Sora bows to Pina.

“I'm deeply honoured, Pina.” Silica smiles at this, then becomes serious as she turns to face Sachi.

“There's something I want to ask of you.” Sachi leans forwards, hiding her momentary surprise at the sudden change of tone.

“I'm listening.” Silica clenches a fist as she gathers her courage.

“I want to ask you to let me join the Moonlit Black Cats.” Sora and Sachi both flinch at this. Sachi regains her composure fastest.

“Is that so? May I ask why you want to join?” Silica holds Sachi's gaze.

“Nebula's told me about what the Black Cats are planning to do, how they're going to shake up the Clearers. I want to help you to accomplish this. More than that, I want to help each of you, in any way that I can, in any situation we might come across. I'm not doing this out of any kind of obligation, before you think that. I truly believe that what you're all doing is the best not just for the Clearers, but for everyone in the game. I truly believe that you'll be the ones to set us free, as well. I'm not content to just sit aside and provide moral support. I want to be there, where it matters most, to help you to the best of my abilities. That is, if you'll have me. I know it won't be easy. I know it'll be stressful, especially with Nebula getting into the thick of things all the time. I know I'll need to work hard to catch up to you all and to keep up. I'm not afraid of working hard, and with everything Nebula's taught me so far, I'm not as afraid of fighting as I used to be either. I know I can be better, and I believe that you guys will be the best people to teach me how to improve myself.” Sachi and Sora stare at Silica in stunned silence for a time. Sora leans back in his seat, feeling no need to say anything. Sachi continues to study Silica carefully. _She really means it. Every word she said. She's got guts, but most importantly she has resolve_. 

“I must say, you're the first person to apply to this guild who didn't get themselves instantly rejected. It's hard to argue against your points, and I can see the strength of your resolve crystal clear. I'd certainly be glad to have you around, and I know Nebula would, too. Today is the first time I've seen him laughing, or even smiling, for a few months now. Not since...” Sachi drifts off, but Silica picks up the thread.

“Not since you lost Sasamaru, right? I know about that. It's the main reason Nebula insisted upon helping me revive Pina. Given everything the two of you have been through, I know it must have been hard to go through yet another loss. If I can help there too, I want to.” Sachi flinches.

“H-He told you about our past?” Silica nods, so does Sora, though he doesn't speak up. _I didn't expect that at all. Sora doesn't open up to anyone very quickly, except to me. Even to the rest of the Black Cats, he won't open up. Yet he told Silica about our past after just one day?_ Sachi clasps her hands together, regaining her composure.

“Then there's nothing for me to worry about. Welcome to the Moonlit Black Cats, Silica.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I hinted in my notes last chapter, this is Silica's debut appearance. I wanted to keep it mostly close to canon, with only a few differences since this is an alternate universe. From here on out we'll be seeing a lot more from Silica. She won't be shunted into the limelight as she was in the canon. She's a Main Character in this timeline.
> 
> As has become typical for me with Sword Art Divergence, I don't dive straight into the heart of the story, the central plotline of the chapter. This one is no exception to that, starting with Sora teaching his closest friends a lot about combat which will help them out in future, especially against Red Players. The techniques and strategies that I detail are, to the best of my knowledge at least, accurate, within a margin of error. I've taken some time to look into HEMA, which I reference, though there's still so much more for me to look into. I know there are more armed martial arts where spinning techniques can be used successfully, but I selected Filipino arts and Montante as examples since I know a little about these. 
> 
> The real weight - game weight ratio that I came up with (1 point in Weight = 35 grams) is something I calculated after making an approximation of the weight of Elucidator based upon Lisbeth's reaction to it in the anime. As Lisbeth is a Blacksmith, and a Mace user, she would have a reasonably high Strength stat, and yet she nearly dropped the Elucidator, leaving me to believe that it weighed somewhere around 6 kilos. With the SAO Wiki informing me that the Elucidator had a Weight stat of 170, it was a simple calculation for me to estimate how much 1 point of Weight would be worth if I took my approximation to be accurate. Logically speaking, I believe it may be very close, if not spot on. Using this formula, I could then come up with real-world and in-game weights for each weapon I've featured (I've also calculated the weight of Dark Repulsor but that's kind of irrelevant. I just did it as an experiment, and since that too had a Weight Stat listed on the wiki).
> 
> I think that's all I wanted to mention. I guess I'll also remind people that while Diavel also knows about Sora's childhood (see Chapter 3), Sachi hasn't been told about this, yet. So as far as she's concerned, Silica is the first person that Sora opened up to about that.


End file.
